Dragon Ball: Fractured Future
by DrTwit
Summary: He was never supposed to use the Time Machine, Gohan's daughter was never supposed to become his student and Cooler was never supposed to live. When Gods start dropping like flies, when the sky goes red, you start to wonder if you just weren't supposed to be happy. Kill the bad guys and pat yourself on the back. Future saved, right? Time Travel is never so open and shut.
1. Fate of the Forgotten Timeline

The sky was a pale blue ocean, just like it always was. Even when it was supposed to be night time the sky remained stagnant in its view. Some might have found that a comforting convenience to encounter every day, but for the short pink haired woman making her way down the cobbled path, it was a grim sight to be sure. It never felt like an actual sky, like nature's beauty draped over her. No, all she could see when walking under it was a hollow shell, an artificial projection that was stuck on one roll of tape.

It was a reflection of this whole place. One glance at the imposing marble tower made one feel small, the clean white shine that stuck with it only made her think of how long she had spent cleaning it. The freshly cut grass added to the overall gracefulness of the beautiful garden… Which had remained untouched for millions of years. Everything here was stagnant. Yes, many things moved freely and worked, but nothing ever seemed to have any sort of life to it (And considering that the tower had a tree growing out of the roof, that's quite the accomplishment)

Worse of all, it was basically empty. Though as the woman looked down at the tray of tea that she held, she was reminded that it wasn't completely empty. But still…

"I hope I'm not being too presumptuous…" She continued on her way to the intimidating set of stairs that led to the tower's open door. No matter what she thought of the overall scenery, she had to admit that there was a certain enchanting and mysterious feeling when approaching the top of the stairs; though nowhere near the feelings she had when she had first stepped foot here. "He won't mind if I disturb him working, right?"

Without hesitation she strode right through the open double doors, the tea cups jittering along with her shaky hands. He always said I had too much energy… On the other side of the doors stood a relatively short hallway, dimly lit with a purple glow that enveloped the entire hallway, as well as giving the woman a small head ache. At the end of the hallway the walls opened out into a circular room full of strange diamond patterns, which looked more akin to unintentional smudges than an actual design littering the walls. There was a small window here and there that pulled light from the outside in, actually giving the illusion of life for the moment.

There were other 'windows' on the wall that simply held more strange patterns to make the room look more interesting, all glaring towards the centre, where a large table of solid oak stood firm. A tall man stood as well with his back to the woman, his black and white overcoat running right down to his feet, along with a blue cape that adorned his shoulder; the dark colours making his smoothed back bright crimson hair stand out. "You didn't knock." His voice rung loud throughout the empty room, his eyes not even leaving the scroll that he currently had down on the table.

At his sudden acknowledgment of her presence the woman almost dropped the tray cradled in her arms, but only just managed to balance it out before anything spilled out. "Oh! Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you, Sir-"

The man stretched out his hand as a sign for her to stop, raising himself from his slightly crouched position and finally tearing his eyes away from the scroll, meeting the woman with a warm smile. "No harm done, Chronoa. But please, do remember common curtesy next time"

"Yes, Sir… Again, sorry for bothering you. But after going through my usual duties, I decided to bring you some tea!" Chronoa did not notice when the man's face visibly fall at the prospect of her tea.

"You didn't break anything, did you?"

"I didn't break anything…" She chuckled nervously "…Important. Anyway, my own special brew. Sir." Her head was lowered in a bow as she presented her brew to her superior, who took the cup with an expression that was in between a thankful smile and a grimace.

Immediately upon sipping the liquid within (His small apprentice now watching in anticipation) the man immediately felt sick. "I thought I insisted that you not trouble yourself with my drinks"

"It's not too much trouble, really!" He sometimes wondered if she knew how wrong she was and was actually trying to poison him this whole time.

"Sadly, I do not have time to savour the taste" While work was a neatly covenant excuse, it was still true that work had been exceptionally piling up over the past few years. Due to unforeseen conditions from the 'outside'. Setting the rest of the tray down, the pink skinned Kai made her way over to beside the man as he turned his attention back to the scroll, where only now did she begin to notice the purple aura that began to waft around the scroll like gas.

"What's wrong with the scroll?"

"Another change" The man's face soured at the sight. On the old and spread out parchment a picture had developed, the image began to shift to different views of the same environment and soon into movement, like a clip show transitioning into a full blown video. In it the two bore witness to a boy with hair of pure gold moving through the air at a speed that was barely visible to either, flipping in place before glaring down out of the view of the frame, before pushing his hands forward and screaming as he fired out a huge blast of ki down below him. "Somewhere in this world yet another change has taken place, another wrench thrown in the wheel of balance. But I'm afraid I'm having a hard time finding the change. All I know is that earth is its origin. In the same 'place' as last time"

Chronoa sighed briefly, in all her time spent working under the older man, Earth had been the very heart where all their problems pooled from. "The earthlings again?"

"While they may not have asked for it, their planet seem to have become the stage for the next universal disaster" Raising his hand he called forth a staff from the corner of the room.

"Disaster!? But, we don't know if the change is that bad…"

"Chronoa." He gazed at her with a solemn expression, his other hand reaching out to grip her shoulder. "In all my centuries as the Supreme Kai of Time I've learned many things. The most important that being no matter the intentions, good or bad, messing around with time never ends well. Not only is it a sin in of itself, but it threatens all of existence. With the last few times we've only been lucky, but with each minute an echo of time makes the struggle all the more impossible"

She wanted to respond, but she could only start chewing the inside of her lip as a feeling of embarrassment started to flood her mind. She should have known that already. "You're right, Sir. But what do we do then?"

"The only thing we can do. Wait. Oversee. And hope we are not required to take even more risk and intervene."

A sigh of relief managed to escape from his lips for the first time in a while. Trunks Briefs dropped down to sit on the bench, a branded fizzy drink held loosely in his hands, its ice cold touch was a very relaxing combatant to the vigorous sweat that gushed down his exposed arms. It had been a long time since the half-saiyan man had been able to kickback for more than a minute, not that he would complain. Every second he and his mother spent breaking their backs in rebuilding the world around them, was a second he would savour. Yes, even for someone who could balance a sun on one hand with little effort, the constant work over the years was more than a little exhausting even if worth it.

And as his gaze swept over the newly rebuilt town square he could feel a large smile grace his lips, a smile he hadn't felt since all those years ago after Cell's demise, when the sun finally peeked over the edge of the world to greet him. Earth was a planet of very stubborn people, even after the androids had seemingly left the planet desolate, the Earth was still able to pull itself back together.

The first town to pull back together was Orange Star City, the city where it all ended. Where the pair of demons that ravaged the world was put down for good. The city was being built up as a beacon of hope, to show that the world wasn't over yet, so its reconstruction was top priority. In the square that was just across the road from the newly built mayor's office, the ground had been fitted with actual grass that looked like a soft green blanket, a few ponds sprinkled around the square filled with fresh water. Couple that with the sun's golden gaze, the large bushy trees sprouting from the ground and the (annoying) chirps of random species of birds, it was quite a beautiful sight to behold.

"And just in time for the world to celebrate its eighth year of… Peace" It wasn't as peaceful as Trunks would have liked, criminals were still a problem, growing bolder since the merciless androids left the picture. But surprisingly, there was much less than before; apparently criminals are a little jumpy when they know there exists a man who does care about the law who can also kill you with just his finger.

Eight years? Has it really been eight years? The thought brought a chuckle out of Trunks's mouth, though still broken up, just one glance at the street and you'd never guess how it was basically a wasteland only eight years prior. Earth had managed to put those days behind it. And for Trunks, that was truly a miracle. I wish you could have been here to see this, Gohan. Most of this is thanks to you, and yet you'll never get the praise you deserve… Drudging up memories of his old mentor was cut short when Trunks heard it. A low foot step. Slow, cautious, someone was sneaking up on him. Soon after he could hear their failed attempts to hide their breathing, as they neared him a pebble came into contact with their foot, dragging bits of dirt as it nosily rolled forward. And his 'attacker' didn't seem to notice.

Trunks sighed. And in one swift motion was on his feet with his arm lazily pushed out to block the incoming blow from his attacker's foot. "Oh common!" Moaned the attacker as their combat boots were easily pushed away from Trunks. He traded a cocky smirk with his attacker, her short raven hair now draping over her charcoal eyes after he shoved her back. Her eyes came down collectively to return his smirk with a glare, pounding her gloved fists together before charging at him again with her fists raised high. The fist had quite a bit of force behind it, Trunks was confident that if he didn't easily divert it away with his palm, it could have left a few good bruises. Either way he now dealt with her other fist much the same way, though this time his fist batted her own away just so it could reach down to grab her by her green camo shirt.

With a fist full of green fabric, he yanked her towards him, while twisting his body to place himself beside her as his leg came under to sweep jean-clad legs off the ground. Now that the girl realised her situation se could only pout at the man's smug grin before he slammed her to the ground with his hand.

"Truuuunks! No fair, you cheated." The girl whined as Trunks let go of her, returning to his seat on the bench.

He raised a quizzical brow at her accusation. "I cheated? Weren't you the one who was sneaking up on a guy just trying to relax?"

"You knew I was there the entire time, didn't you?"

"Yep"

"Smug bastard…" Said smug bastard merely grinned at the girl's grumbled insult, waving his finger in her face.

With a teasing tone he spoke "Son Pan, what did your mother say about swearing?" Emphasising her full name to annoy the girl even further, she had spoiled his relaxation and she would pay for it. As predicted she continued to pout and groan as she sat herself on the bench next to him.

"Mom says a lot of things… But it's my solemn duty as a delinquent to ignore them" She was slumped next to Trunks, only coming around to just over his hip in height. He resisted a chuckle that she of all people would use such an old-timey sounding word

"Aren't you a little old to be a delinquent?" As he spoke he finally got around to opening up his can, giving it a refreshing sip.

"Can I have some?" Pan piped up as the heavenly cold liquid just began to drip down his parched throat. She now held enormous eyes and an equally sweaty and pathetic face, perfect for tricking gullible and nice people. Trunks was such a person and eventually handed the can over to Pan. As expected the girl 'accidentally' downed the whole can in her thirst, leaving none left for Trunks, to which she noticed when she attempted to hand it back to him. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I guess I got carried away there, huh?" She frowned, shaking the can again to try and hear more liquid, but no dice. "D-don't worry, I'll go get you another one! Where did you get it!?"

"It's fine, Pan" The man shrugged, thinking to himself Yep, she is her Grandfather's Granddaughter. Son Pan had been a troublesome (As his father would put it) brat since day one, all the way back to when Videl had first given birth to the little 'Rebel'. Who had then proceeded to punch Trunks in his face when the boy had attempted to hold her baby self.

"Alright, I admit it. You kicked my ass back there. But that's just a onetime thing!" After Trunks cleared her of all guilt for the can stealing incident, Pan went back to rant about Trunks beating her yet again. "I mean, if I got some training from some ultra-powerful, Android killing, sword wielding master. I would totally win" That marked a stark difference Pan had with her father as Trunks had learned after his trip to the past, she was always striving to be like the stories she had heard about her grandpa. The Legendary Goku. Where Gohan fought because he had to, Pan fought because she loved it.

"You want me to train you?" Honestly, Trunks felt flattered by the suggestion, the daughter of Son Gohan asking HIM for training. Though considering Trunks still had much to learn himself, he couldn't really imagine himself in a teaching role.

"It makes perfect sense! My dad trained you, so it's kind of like you passing on the family torch!" The girl now had her arms behind her head, fixing Trunks with a determined stare. She was really fixated on this. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to train another up someone else to protect the Earth if he's ever absence during a major threat (Really, with this planet's record. Eight years was even more of a miracle), though he doubted that anything would come that would really be that big of a threat. Makes me think of how it went for Pan in the past. Would she still even exist there? Did Gohan even meet Videl?

"I'll think about it…"

With that classic Son smile the little girl jumped into the air "That's basically a yes, right? AHA! I'll show you, Old Man. You won't regret it!"

So, Gohans her father and Videl is her mother… So, who the hell did she inherit her attitude from!?

_

The dark hallway was littered with what remained of Dr Gero's underground lab, various chunks of rock had collapsed in on the now broken equipment that had made up the room. With the sea of darkness flooding what at the moment could be considered a cave, the only source of light that scared away the shadows for a brief moment was the instantaneous flash of sparks that came from loose wiring. None of this phased the lone visitor that calmly walked over the destroyed corpse of Gero's lab, a calm grace to her step as her bandaged hand came up to the green scouter that slightly illuminated her pale forehead. "You sure this is the place; all I'm seeing is scrap metal"

"I'm sure. All signs point to there… They should be right below you, if you look around maybe you can find a trap d-" Before the deep voice on the other end could finish his response the woman had raised her hand and let out a small blast of ki into the ground. "Or you could risk harming them like the reckless monkey you are"

"If that blast destroyed them, I wouldn't be down here in the first place" She stated bluntly as her body hovered over the hole she had created, enabling her to stare down a dark abyss where she could only just tell that there was something below. "He's got a sub-lab in his sub-lab? What a weird guy"

"Dr Gero wasn't the most predictable man from what I heard"

Lowering herself down the hole the woman faced the ever familiar walls of weakened rock with a look of boredom, each inch deeper made it slightly harder to breathe. "Someone wrecked this place up good, think the half-breed had a tantrum after he broke Gero's toys?" Soon her feet finally touched the ground with a soft and echoey thump, creating a ball of light in her hand to make it easier to see. "Found em" Within second she spotted what she had come for aligned neatly in a row at the side of the room, it seemed that whoever destroyed the upstairs lab didn't even come close to touching this one. As she shone her ball of light on the what she could see were pods, she could read the writing clearly, even if a bit dusty.

13 – 14 – 15

"Activate them"


	2. Loose Ends

White locks were joined with various beads of sweat that dripped down a crimson forehead, an invisible force seemingly putting pressure on the large man who stood perched on a hill top, his arms out stretched towards a solid block of some dark material. With every moment he gave off a grunt, struggling away with his invisible 'attacker' as his eyes focused directly on the block that towered over him.

"Kibito, I think it's about time you stopped for a rest" The voice of the Supreme Kai roused the attendant away from his focus, briefly putting his telekinetic training on hold. He voiced no questions in response to his superior, only followed the advice given. For around an hour now Kibito had been hard at work sharpening his telekinetic abilities, which now and again had become an extremely handy tool both on and off battle, but while Kibito had years of experience; there was always room for improvement.

With no hesitation the attendant turned his back to the block and made his way down the hill back towards the Supreme Kai (Or Shin, as he liked to be called), who now stood in an almost guard-like position under the shadow of the large tree behind him. As Kibito continued down the hill he glanced off to the side where the crimson hilt of the legendary Z Sword still poked into view, the rest of the sword currently impaled through the ground beneath it. As it had been for centuries.

"Did you require something, Supreme Kai?" Kibito questioned when he came to a stop just a short distance away from the rather vertically challenged god, watching Shin look down into the depths of his all-seeing orb.

Shin himself merely offered his attendant a smile. "Not at all, I simply didn't wish for you to push yourself too hard. I still need you with me for the very moment we find Babidi"

At the mention of the green skinned prune Kibito frowned. The past few weeks had been nothing but space hoping from every hole in the entire quadrant, turning every stone and looking down every crack for the sinister wizard known as Babidi. A vile maniac set on releasing an evil more destructive than the universe had ever witnessed. A creature responsible for the previous Eastern Kai to now be the lone Supreme Kai. Well, in this universe.

"The fiend has now turned back to set his sights on Earth, I know it" This had been the fifth planet that Shin had referred to as such, though Kibito refused to point this out.

Though the man didn't resist voicing the most obvious question. "Why Earth? If I recall correctly, isn't that planet just a smouldering wasteland now? Surely not the most fitting location to find energy"

Shin face fell to a much darker scowl towards the orb nestled amongst the tall blades of grass. "Not so. These days the inhabitants seem to have made their situation better, though I as far as I can see there's no one of note that Babidi could take energy from. There are much more lively planets in the galaxy next to it… Unless…"

"He no longer needs the energy."

"Could he be on his way to resurrect Buu right now? How would he know…?" Shin's question was more directed at himself, he had personally saw to the location of the trapped Buu's burial ground, deep under the Earth's crust. At the time it had seemed like such a good hiding place. Could Babidi have found it somehow? What other reason would the Wizard of had for going to a planet that lacked the energy he needed?

Kibito shook his head forcefully. "Evil such as him are crafty, he would of found it one day…"

"There's always the chance that I'm completely wrong, and I have been before… But even a small chance of that… Monster being released is something we need to look into" Shin raised his two fingers up to his forehead, his other hand reaching out towards his body guard. "We'll head to earth to investigate. And if we're lucky, we'll find and destroy Babidi just like we did Bibidi"

"Eh, I reckon you have as much chance at doing that as your butler there has of moving that cube. But, I guess if a pip squeak like you can be called a God, stranger things can happen" The voice that sought to insult Shin confused the man for a brief moment, the accent sounding akin to what earthlings would refer to as a 'Southern Drawl'.

"Kibito! This is no time for impr-" Before his brain could even register what was going on, Shin found Kibito's hand shooting forward to give him a forceful shove. At the exact moment of the shove, a large blast of golden energy shot past the man's eyes, just managing to brush against the skin of his nose. With a stinging sensation flooding the tip of his nose, the Supreme Kai realised that it wasn't his bodyguard making insulting remarks.

"What do ya' think, Pip Squeak? Can a corpse ruffle a Space Wizard's feathers?" A chuckle followed the voice this time, prompting Shin to spin around to face the unwelcome intruder. The chuckle seemed to belong to the large man that sat casually on a protruding rock, with the smuggest grin he could muster enveloping his face as he stared straight at Shin, pure glee shining in his eyes while completely ignoring Kibito. "You know, us folks down on the farms find staring to be really… How'd you holy folks put it? Uncivilised?" Silver locks, peachy skin, green vest and a trucker hat? This man certainly didn't look like someone who was supposed to be in the Realm of the Kias.

"W-who are you!? W-why? What? HOW!?" The Supreme being managed to stumble over all of his words, the shock of the situation easily ripping his calm demeanour away from him. His stumbles only became more frequent as he reached out with his mind to try and gauge the intruder's power, but to his horror he found that there was nothing there to sense. It wasn't a low ki count. It was like there was no ki at all, yet the man had been able to blast at Shin with such ease. "What's this? Kibito, I can't sense his energy!"

Turning towards his bodyguard for confirmation, Shin found that Kibito wore a similar look of surprise, though the man had regained his composure and moved forward to stand in between the attacker and Shin. "Neither can I, Supreme Kai. He must be hiding his power from us somehow…"

A sour look could be seen dawning on the man's face as the tip of his finger pushed up his trucker hat, a sequence of tuts produced by his lips. "Now, ya see I know I didn't make the best impression charging in here like an uncontrollable bull. But I find it mighty insulting dat y'all would just talk about me like I ain't around"

With a loud battle cry Kibito charged in at the large country boy, disappearing before the man's eyes to close the distance between them. The Intruder didn't even seem to flinch as Kibito closed in on him with fists shooting out to give the man a heavy blow to the head. It felt strange just how little the man had attempted to put up some sort of guard, judging by his bulging build Kibito could tell that the man was a fighter in some way, but made no effort to react; was the man really so confident that Kibito's punch would be ineffective?

Kibito's first came into contact with something hard that wasn't even moved an inch, something that clearly the flesh and blood that Kibito had expected to hit. It was a hand that now blocked the attack, and as a slight gleam was reflected in the hand, Kibito realised that it was made of some sort of metal.

"Oh, gosh darn. And with all that fuss I forgot to introduce my pals over here" The man Kibito intended to hit brought himself to his feet, pushing on past his metal bodied friend that stood blocking Kibito's punch. "They're a shy lot, so show them a little patience. Will ya, Mr Butler? Thanks"

The Bodyguard's eyes glared up at his new foe, faced with only an emotionless expression in return. The metal man was yet another big brute in appearance, a long raven ponytail running down his back as he awaited Kibito's next move. _Wait… They!?_ Kibito's realisation came all too late as before he could even attempt to jump back, a sharp pain spread throughout his wait as the result of a small object digging into his back.

As this happened the original man had now completely passed Kibito and headed straight for Shin, the Supreme Kai tore his eyes away from his distracted bodyguard to face the laughing southerner, pushing his own body into a fighting stance. "14, 15. Play nice. I've gotta teach shorty here some manners in how he treats guests"

"You heard the Boss-man, 14. Let's show this player how we move" Another accent that neither Kibito nor Shin had ever heard came from what Kibito assumed the be his rear attacker. And by deduction, Mr 15. 14's fingers down contracted to crush the attendent's fist in an iron grip, his knee rising up and lodging itself in Kibito's stomach.

This took the wind out of Kibito for a while, but he did not allow this to deter him for too long. Immediately fighting through the pain Kibito struggled to raise his other hand and ram it into 14's head, sending the metal man back a little, but doing nothing to break the hand's grip on him arm. Unfortunately, 14 used this chance to yank Kibito up by his hand alone and hold the man in place for a very short purple man with an over-the-top green hat to appear, his puffy pink lips smirking in delight as he rammed hat-first into Kibito's body.

Before Kibito could register the pain of another blow to the stomach his entire body was sent rocketing backward, he assumed that he might be given some time to recover and charge back at his foes (They did seem like the type to wait for him to get back up so they could take time to laugh), but he quickly caught sight of the now airborne 14 hot on his trail.

* * *

The sweet smell of progress was in the air. Well, there was sweat as well, a little blood and a lot of copper, but overall; progress! At least, that's what Bulma Briefs smelled as she watched the construction site from atop her hover-scooter. Various men and woman currently rushed about the site, bobbing and weaving past each other, some with some tool or another in hand.

They had only started rebuilding the neighbourhood a month ago, and yet so far they had managed to progress over the half way point in so little time, it was truly astonishing for what had been a graveyard beforehand. But, as it was said these days: Give Bulma a screwdriver, a goal, a few dedicated men and that woman will work miracles.

Bulma herself looked better than she had in decades, even with a few wrinkles here and there, her skin was had lost the years stress that used to weigh it down. Turns out that not having to live in fear of a psychotic android kicking down your door does wonders for your skin.

When she started up the Recolonization Project even she had not expected so many people to apply to help, but she would never complain, they were a big help. They started in Orange Star City of course, rebuilding the most important buildings like the Mayor's Office, the high school, before moving on to housing itself.

The plan was to remake the whole neighbourhood from the ground up to be the beautiful, friend and liveable community it was before the Androids came along and destroyed everything. Make society a functional one again, they already had selected a new mayor for Orange Star City, enlisted security to knock back against any criminal activity and overall keep the workers safe. Though while the houses were being built, citizens were living inside camps around the city, set up with tents and a steady food supply.

"Miss Briefs?" A man had approached her while she was admiring the view, he held a thick wooden clip board and seemed very rigid in his stance. Bulma had hired him as her field manager for when she couldn't be in the area. "We're experiencing a few problems, various reports of technical malfunctions, animal habitats obstructing some of our work… Oh, and your new engineers are here" He held up a smoking device that had obviously exploded in some poor sod's hand.

With a sigh Bulma took the tool in her hand and fixed the man with a professional stare. "Alright, tell the workers to start busting out our less convenient tools and to take all technology over to the storage shed, I don't want to chance an accident occurring. Ill inspect the 'obstructions' later, but for now have em work around it" The man furiously wrote down her words as she dished out orders, hovering past him and beckoning him to follow. "Where are the newbies?"

"Uh, down here!" A female voice yelped as Bulma brought her ride to an abrupt stop, looking down she discovered that she was close to running over three very odd looking people. Specifically a tall woman in tattered dark clothing, a small dog in a skin tight ninja suit and… some sort of goblin creater in a clown outfit? Overall, Bulma was confused. "Mam!"

"You're my new assistant Engineers?"

"Yes, mam!" Chirped the tall woman, though looking at her face you would say that she was absolutely terrified of Bulma for some reason.

The strange Goblin creature spoke up "Mai, be quiet. I'll do the talking here!" His voice was scratchy and loaded in ego, Bulma was already annoyed listening to it. "Greetings! I, the great and loyal Pilaf, am here to help you with all of your technical needs" The Goblin's face contorted into a pretty pathetic sight, attempting to suck up to her when he clearly didn't want to.

And so the Dog began to speak "You must have heard of him, he used to-" But was cut off by 'Pilaf' smacking the poor animal over the head.

"Shut it, Shew! You can't just spill the beans like that!"

"Sorry, Sire... I just thought she'd remember us" This made Bulma tilt her head, she had never met any of these people in her entire life.

"Remember you? Have we met?"

Mai and Shew seemed awe struck by the question "H-have we!? You mean you don't remember us at all?"

"Nope"

"We're not even a little familiar looking?" Mai asked almost hopefully

"Look, I don't know you and I don't need to. All I need is to know that you guys are up for the job… And will be willing to do it quietly" _For my sanity's sake._ Immediately Bulma whipped around on her vehicle and started to hover away at a slow pace. "I'll take you to our supply shed, you can help my assistant repair these tools"

What Bulma could not see or hear from behind her was both Mai and Shue fighting to hold Pilaf back, the little goblin trying to rush up and attack Bulma. "I am the great Emperor Pilaf! I will not stand for this insult, I'm important enough to be remembered by some stuck up rich brat!" His words didn't come out as loud when he wheezed them out through Mai's hand.

"It doesn't matter what she thinks, Sire. We'll always remember you!" The Dog quietly assured his Master, while Mai nodded in agreement.

"Sire, we've been starved for years by now. Please don't blow our one chance to earn some food because of your pride!" At this Pilaf stopped for a moment, glancing down at his small blue belly, growling like a terrible beast.

"Hmm… You're right, maybe I'm being a bit too hasty… I mean, who cares what that Old Hag thinks. Yeah, with all those wrinkles and sagg-" The dwarf's insult was cut short when a sound that Pilaf sword was a T-Rex, broke out over them.

"I thought I said, FOLLOW ME!" Bulma's roar from far away could be heard across the entire site

Pilaf and co instantly rushed towards her, screaming out ''YES, MISS BULMA, MAM!"

In a few moments the trio had ran all the way towards a more than a little moody Bulma, who scowled down at them from atop her 'perch', a look that brought a whole new meaning to the words 'If looks could kill!'. "If you can't follow simple instructions I can easily throw you out right now"

"No, please! WE'RE SORRY!" Pilaf cried out, falling to his knees. "We were just distracted your youthful looks and grace!"

"But weren't you just talking about her sagg-"

"SHUT UP, SHUE!" Pilaf barked at the creature beside him, before turning his gaze back to BUlma with an agonizingly forced smile. The woman seemed to have taken Pilaf's compliment well, a proud smile taking over her demonic glare.

"Well, yes. I suppose that's excusable… Just try not to do it again, or you'll have my assistant to deal with" She let out a chuckle before leading the Trio into a large oval-shaped shed, a sign with 'Supplies!' crudely drawn on with felt tip, accompanied by a few smiley faces. _I still regret letting Pan write the signs…_

"Y-your assistant?" Mai stuttered, it didn't sound that bad, but for some reason she felt a bit uneasy as Bulma pushed open the door.

The blue haired woman looked back to shoot the trio a playful smirk (Which to them looked more like a demonic smile), before steping to the side to let the three enter "You'll love him, he's like a giant teddy bear!"

On the inside they found it very easy to spot the man instantly within the shed, with the white and blue patterns that adorned the wall, his bright green colour scheme and enormous stature proved quite eye-catching. The man currently held a large crate in hand, though was seemingly caught up with something outside the window in front of him as he now stood frozen in place.

As he turned around to greet the ones who were disturbing his work, the Pilaf gang noticed that he was so tall that his ginger flame of a Mohawk currently bumped into the ceiling. Aside from his bulky build and sizable hands, the man looked rather friendly… Well, until he spoke. "Greetings, I am designated as Android 16. It is a pleasure to mak-"

The reaction was instant, the trio all open their mouths wider then humanly possible to let out a harmony of screams in the chorus of fear . "ANDROID!" Instantly Pilaf turn to run back but Bulma was there blocking his with an almost too amused look on her face. "Get out of the way, there's a killer android in the room. WE NEED TO RUN!"

Soon Bulma broke out into laughter at the absolutely terrified faces of the Pilaf gang. "Now, now. Don't talk about 16 like that, he's a sweetheart. He wouldn't hurt a fly"

"Correction: I am completely capable of harm; I simply choose not to inflict it. I do not wish to hurt" The android softly put the crate down and approached the door with an almost guilty expression (The Pilaf Gang still trying to find a means of escape), offering his palm when he reached them all. "I am sorry if I scared you, but I can't change what I am. If you will let me, I hope we can be friends"

"F-friends?" Shue seemed to suddenly have sparkles invade his eyes as he thought of the possibility of having what was basically a giant action figure as a friend.

Pilaf elbowed both Mai and Shue to come close so that he could whisper between them "If we had a killer android in our pocket, we'd be invincible! I mean, not even that Goku-kid could beat them"

"Will you be my friend? I am always looking for more, and we can make this world a better place by helping Bulma. Unless you intend to harm any of the Briefs or their friends. Then I'm afraid we can't be friends, because I will have to terminate you" It was hard to find any actual tone in his voice, the only hint of emotion they could get were his deadpan expressions. Either way, the Pilaf Gang just had to take one good look at his monstrous shoulders before smiling.

"Of course! Friends for ever and all that!" The room filled with nervous laughter "Hehe, why would anyone want to hurt any of the Briefs? That's just insane!"

16 only offered them a smile, bowing his head in respect. "Thank you, new friends"

* * *

It was a hard task for Shin to not start watching Kibito's brawl with the strange clothed duo, but the Kai had more a bigger threat to deal with at the moment and he was confident that his bodyguard could handle these intruders. "Why are you doing this?" His eyes became locked in a harsh staring contest between him and the man, the two now circling each other, daring the other to make the first move. "Are you with Babidi?"

"Don't ya worry, little man. I'm just a simple man, with a simple goal. And it just so happens they include one dead purple son-of-a-bitch. The name's 13" Shin launched himself at the man, staring off the fight with a spinning kick aimed at the man's chest, though 13 was quick enough to bring his arm up and block the kick. "Your unlucky number" 13's arm swung forward, catching Shin in the shoulder and sending him right back to the ground.

But Shin was quick to react and landed firmly on his feet, immediately pushing to attack as he leaped up into the air gracefully, unleashing a barrage of fists on 13's head. Some of the blows were blocked or dodged by 13's constant ducks and dukes, but many managed to land home, the constant barrage pushing the large man back every few blows. However with every fist that connected Shin gradually felt more and more like he was hitting a solid slab of katchin, couple that with the smug look on 13's features that endured the beating, Shin doubted that he was actually doing that much damage.

Seeing no further point in beating on the man's rather hard head, the Supreme Kai instead opted to drop down low and attempt to swipe at the man's legs, intending to unbalance 13 by ramming his fists into the side of the man's knees. But thinking quickly 13 threw himself backwards, pulling his body into the air and landing on his out stretched open palm. Giving room for the giant beast of a man to swing his legs through the air and send a kick towards Shin, the attack was so quick that Shin couldn't fully dodge it, instead changing the victim of the attack to be his back.

This time Shin made a bit more than a dent when he hit the ground, the effects of the fight now starting to shred into his clothing, blood and bruises littering his lower body. Sluggishly, Shin dragged himself forward, trying to push himself to his feet. But the best he could do before 13's foot came down on him was flip his body over so he could at least witness the man wiping a knuckle against his bruised cheek.

"Gotta admit, little man. You had more spunk than I ever could have guessed. I reckon dat if this weren't business, I would have let you scarper off for that surprise" With yet another chuckle 13 shot the tip of his foot into Shin's stomach, sending the small kai across the grass in a bloodied heap.

"Damn it!" The Supreme Kai screamed at 13, watching as the man proceeded to rub aware the muck on his cheek some more, revealing a slight grey tint just under the layer of 'flesh'. "Y-you're a machine!"

"Bingo. See, there's a brain in that fine thick skull of yours after all!"

Back with Kibito it hadn't taken a fighting genius to realise 14's intentions as the metal man gained on Kibito, 14 now moving his body to aim downwards, planning to come down like a hammer on what he thought was a helpless Kibito. Taking action immediately, Kibito let out a grunt as he flipped his body around just as 14 began his straight nose dive into Kibito, allowing Kibito to make a crash landing on his feet. Though he didn't have the balance to stay of his feet, Kibito was at least able to stomp his feet with enough force to throw himself to the side, just avoiding 14's attack.

The android however upon witnessing Kibito move out of his collision path only had a split second to make up a plan, on instinct given to him by his sub-routines 14 pushed out his hands to support his landing, but at this speed the landing would not be a clean one. When his open palms collided with the ground 3 feet of dust enveloped the android's vision, but no sort of crater was visable, as a whole his landing had left nothing but a dent in the ground. This came as surprising 14 a bit, he expected much more of an impact site. The surface of the planet here must have been much more durable then he thought.

It wasn't long before his scanners picked up signs of movement just off to his side, quickly he pushed himself upwards back onto his feet, only to be met with Kibito's fist slamming against his eye sockets with an audible crack. As the dust cleared Kibtio had managed to get back on his feet and took no hesitation in charging his foe, he successfully staggered the android with his punch, following the blow with another to swing the android's head in another direction.

It was expected that 15 would be there seconds later to help his comrade, but that didn't give Kibito enough time to avoid the purple dwarf's hand digging into his sides, forcing the crimson skinned attendant to stop his assault on 14 "Hey, Red. I hope you didn't forget about little ol' me" With great effort, Kibito leaped back away from the chiding and annoying voice. "Don't be like that, we don't mean nothing. 14 was being friendly is all"

Kibito could only glare at the two seemingly unscaved monstrosities that didn't show the least bit of apprehension about facing him, as his voice got caught up in his throat, Kibito realised that he was scared. It was obvious that the two together could easily overpower him, and if the other man is their boss, chances are that he's even stronger. _We need to retreat. Live and fight another day_ Just to mock the fallen bodyguard, the dwarf pulled out a small metal flask, popping off the top of it with a smirk. "Rest for a minute, Old Timer. I gotta loosen up my circuits"

It was the perfect opportunity. 14 was waiting for 15 to give the go ahead, and 15 was taking his sweet time chugging away at his liquid. Now was their chance to escape, Kibito just had to grab Shin and get the hell out of there. Unfortunately, when looking over to his superior Kibito discovered that Shin was in an even worse situation. Shin now struggled to stand against 13, who was merely stalking towards Shin as if he were a hungry predator. With one flick of his index finger 13 fired a crimson ki blast that penetrated Shin's chest in an instant, forcing the Kai to his knees.

 _I have to act now…_ Kibito turned back to the duo who still stood tauntingly, the fact that they still stood felt like an insult. He wouldn't be able to do anything with them still there, he had to distract them for at least thirty seconds, then he could give Shin a chance. With a sigh Kibito pushed his hands behind his back and let his head drop into some sort of miniature bow. "I… I concede… I am no match for you"

"Pffft, you give up? What kind of whack-ass bodyguard are you?" The dwarf voice was especially annoying when he thought he was victorious, releasing a sigh of content when ripping the flask away from his lips. In Kibito's hands he began to charge up some ki in his hidden palms, he hoped he had enough time, as soon as either of the two got close enough they'd realise what he's doing. "Hmpf, maybe I did overdo it. Don't care either way. Better just get this over with, 14, erase em"

"B-But wait!" _I need more time!_

"What now? It's too late to beg for your life" _Almost there…_

"I have some… final words…" Kibito kept his gaze fixed at the ground, it was hard to keep a straight face as he gathered energy in his hands, each step 14 took made him more nervous. It was fortunate that neither of the two seemed to be able to sense his energy.

"Yeah, and I have some words as well. I don't care"

It was now or never. The air seemed to pool around Kibito's palms as he finished charging, taking one step back and bringing his arms back around his body, giving off one final cry before bringing them together. **"SHOCKWAVE!"** Immediately the air around them crackled as an invisable force cracked through it, causing an audible thunder-like fizzle as it all rushed towards he duo, hitting them dead on and bringing them right off their feet.

With no time to spare Kibito pivoted on his foot to see 13 getting closer and closer to Shin, netiher able to hear the commotion going on with Kibito. He thrusted his hands outwards again, this time reaching forth with his mind, his time now limited. It felt as if cords travelled from his mind down to his hands, shooting out from the tips of his fingers all the way to 13.

"What in tarnation!?" 13 cursed out as he felt something reach out and wrap around his body, clamping down on both of his arms. Whatever the force was, it packed an amazing amount of strength, no matter how much the android struggled the cords just would not budge. Throwing his head back to look at his attacker, he was immediately surprised to spot Kibito seemingly pulling 13 back, off to the side 14 and 15 were still recovering from the shockwave. "Get up ya lazy varmits! This cowboy has his lasso around my neck!"

Kibito only let out one scream before 14 and 15 got back to their feet, taking off towards Kibito who now had no way to defend himself. The kid gloves were off. "NOW!"

Looking back to Shin 13 could only grit his teeth and brace himself, Shin now stood back up again (A hole still in his chest), his hands crackling with blue energy; the very ground shook around them as he prepared the attack. "This is the sacred world of the kais. AND YOUR KIND ARE NOT WELCOME!" With that he unleashed a furious pulsating blue blast upon the unmovable 13, the blast quickly enveloping the large man until he was practically invisible.

14 rammed his hand straight through Kibito's stomach, with nothing to defend himself with thanks to his efforts to hold 13, this blow left only a gaping hole. Then 15 took the chance to jump up and smash his foot across Kibito's head, though the hit almost wasn't felt, after all the wounds of the battle started to take effect, Kibito began to feel a wave of numbness overtake him. "I-I…failed…" Side-by-side 14 and 15 raised their hands, both firing simple ki blasts to finish off their fallen foe.

"Clever bastard…" 15 growled stooping low to pick up his hat, it had been knocked off beforehand by the shockwave. It was then that his head turned to witness the aftermath of Shin's devastating attack, first being met with the sight of sprawling crater where 13 used to be standing, even annihilating the large tree behind him. "Well, someone's been busy"

When Shin spotted the two walking over Kibito's corpse to make their way over to him, he immediately found more fear in how eerily calm the two were. _I just killed their comrade, yet why do they still look so.. Confident?_

"You played the game well enough" The Dwarf gave his sarcastic congratulations "But in the end, ya still lost. Pity"

That's when Shin realised that now he could feel another energy approaching this time, he twisted his body to look for the energy signature behind him, though that was when she decided to speak. "Excellent, even when outnumbered and overpowered you still stand to fight. You may be a weakling, but you still have spirit" She stood atop the hilt of the Z Sword looking down on Shin, adorning a familiar crimson Yardranian garb, a furry tail wrapping itself lovingly around her waist.

"W-what are you people doing here!?" Her cruel smile strained against her unnatural looking skin. Pale skin tone, cracks spreading around her face like a disease and the bandages that wrapped around various body parts gave her the appearance of an almost decaying corpse. Even her long withered hair looked as if it was pulling off her skin.

"Nothing personal, worm. Or I would have joined in" Her hollow laugh seemed to echo across the planet in Shin's mind, even his eyesight started to go a bit peculiar, a strange smell rising in front of his nose. Something was terribly wrong. The woman now floated just above the Z Sword with her cruel grin still reigning, looking down at the mystical sword of legend. "So, this is the Z sword? Let's see how durable it is" With a flick of her wrist a Ki blast was let loose on the relic, immediately incinerating it where it stood. "Some legendary sword"

"No! You destroyed it!" Shin cried out in despair, his vision barely holding together enough to create a clear picture. "Why… If you're not with Babidy, why are you doing this!?"

Gloved hands suddenly took hold of Shin's head, pulling him up into the air as the familiar southern accent behind 13's mad laughter rang in his ears. Pain sprang up again as the android's hands began to push more pressure on Shin's skull, threatening to break it if the pressure continued to increase, all Shin could do I the face of it all was scream against the pain "Let's just say, Pip Squeak, we needed some insurance"

And with one final sickening crack, 13's hands came together.


	3. The Fallen Empire

Fire rained from the toxic clouds that polluted the skies of the planet Fiz, a barrage of laser blasts hammering down to cause large explosions that enveloped chunks of soldiers in a deadly embrace, only leaving the marks of its impact in its wake. A never ending sea of stained white armour clashed with a tide of native warriors and blood of either side's fallen comrades.

"Keep pushing! Don't let up!" Screamed one soldier into the built in COMMs of their helmets, completely annihilating a straight line of warriors in front of him. "Their numbers are thinning out, the battle is ours, lads!" It was the soldier's last words before a Fizzian charged at him on it's five legs, embracing him with its pincers.

The natives of the planet were a set of tall insectoids that stood towering above the average soldier, claws for cheeks with exoskeletons as strong as steel. Their pincers easily bit into the well-made armour of the standard troops, and push on through to rip their prey in two. Leaving two pieces of a screaming corpse on the battlefield.

"Commander down! Repeat, Commander d-" Another soldier of the Galactic Trade Federation fell to the Fizzian's razor sharp claw, immediately penetrating his chest. One by one the soldiers began to be overwhelmed by the increasing tide of Fizzian warriors, drowning in a sea of claws and screeches, until soon not even the corpses could be seen among the warriors.

A golden insect creature that had further developed to just stand on two legs "Upon this mountain of corpses we shall take back out city!" Through various clacking of the pincers that the creature thought of as a jaw, it had actually managed to speak words. An orchestra of clicking blades seemed to act as a resounding battle cry of agreement.

Armies of soldiers armed to the teeth with the finest technology that the universe had to offer, soldiers who had been trained to conquer galaxies as their only purpose, and yet all they could do now was fire wildly at the oncoming horde while making a hasty retreat to their ships. But it was all for nothing as it turned out, their ships had already been overrun by the vermin this planet called it's natives, within moments the creatures had managed to collapse the ground beneath the armies as if to drag their only method of escape deeper into the planet's core.

From a distance a small circular probe extended its emotionless stare as the sea dragged unwilling soldiers, screaming and kicking for dear life, back into its bloody depths. The golden crusader that screamed for more corpses dashed towards the probe with a fire in it's beady eyes, flashing the gleaming blade of it's arm before impaling the probe.

 **TRANSMISSION ENDED – CONNECTION LOST – PROBE DAMAGE LEVELS CRITICAL**

The myriad of dangerous buzzwords repeatedly flashed on the screen like a hollow laugh, looking down and mocking the small blue man that frustrated slammed his small fist into the console. Commander Sorbet could only shake with anger as the very familiar scene played before him, another transmission disconnecting as the final bout of troops were cut down in cold blood, another failure, another planet lost.

Before he could stoop in his rage any longer a commanding and deep tone echoed throughout the mostly empty observation deck. "Have all our remaining forces retreat, we've lost Planet Fizz. There's no point wasting more of our resources" Sorbet could only nod regretfully in response before sending out the retreat orders across the fleet in that sector.

From behind his large black nose could see the image slowly shift from the cut transmission, to a large 3D overview of a large complex, under a single line. "I just don't understand how we lost. We were annihilating them! We had better weaponry, better technology, better men. By all accounts we should have been victorious" As he realised the volume of his voice he let out a quiet gasp, turning on his heel with his mouth nailed shut, his eyes locked onto the creature behind him silhouetted behind the shadows of the dimly lit room.

The hover chair came forward to reveal its egg-like shape and steep appearance, hovering only a few metres off the ground and only making a soft hiss from the engines that kept it afloat. Inside the vehicle Sorbet was only met with a frown to stare back at him, sunken in eyes against strained purple skin, the red face paint that dripped down beside it almost looked like it was dragging the eyes down for the usual look for Lord Cooler.

"Their advantage lied in territory. They have walked that desolate rock for over a millennium, thus they had knowledge of the tunnel complex beneath the planet's surface, a matter which our forces were unaware of" His voice suggested that the 'Emperor' was holding back a growl as the realisation, his chair bringing him closer to the screen replaying the last moments of his army's failure.

It was hard to tell what emotion was flashing through the man's eyes, his sunken in face and overall body language was always consistently unimpressed. No matter what occurred, you'd never get even a hint of a smile from Cooler, even when he was embracing victory. Even when he had taken the position of Emperor from his late Brother, a position he had long for since birth, he still kept that stone cold gaze.

Though maybe that was because neither the moments leading up to his ascension to the galactic throne, nor the days after had he ever hit nothing but disaster. When word of both King Cold and Frieza's deaths had reached the surrounding systems, a fire was already lit, various planets from every corner of the empire now felt confident enough to challenge their galactic rulers.

Frieza was never what someone would call a great ruler, he was petty, arrogant and worst of all wasteful of perfectly good resources. But that didn't mean that the sudden death of the tyrant didn't leave a large power vacuum, which no matter how fast the Empire was in filling the empty spot on the throne, allowed the seeds of chaos to take root. Rebellions were a weekly occurrence, with each passing day losing more ground as valuable resources slipped through Cooler's fingertips. His family legacy slipping with them.

Every day was a grind, but it seemed that Cooler's consistent face of disinterest allowed him to shelve the stress and look on forward. "That marks the last planet of that sector… Lost." Sorbet briefly mourned yet another loss, the soldiers were loyal fighters to the end. While it was true that the members of the Cold family entered realms of power so powerful that they could destroy planets with a flick of the wrist, Cooler was not too keen on destroying vital resources. After all, the planets were allies in the first place for a reason. "If this keeps up, there migh-"

"I am well aware of our situation, Commander" A slight raise of the brow and chin, Cooler did not like to be reminded of the taint that riddled his Empire.

"O-of course you are, my Lord! I was merely talking to myself, but of course only in confidence, uh.. well…"

"Careful, Commander. Stumbling over your words could lead to a painful meeting with the floor" Sorbet wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a joke, but just decided to smile anyway, not dumb enough to risk it. While Lord Cooler was nowhere near as prone to murdering his own men in cold blood, he was nowhere near forgiving, especially when planets are rising up to pull the rug out from under his three-toed feet. "Have you received any reports on our progress in other systems? Any more uprisings in the making?"

"I have them right here, as you requested, my Lord" The blue dwarf rushed back over to the screen along with a vigorous nod in his lord's direction, quickly punching in a few buttons to bring up more status reports. "The inhabitants of Planet Sundeys seemed to have calmed down noticeably after that offering you gave them, though some of our supply ships have been under attack by Barbarians-"

With a few loud thuds and a gasp of breath Sorbet was easily cut off by a purple-grey skinned alien bursting into the room, an alarmed look almost pulsating from his expression as he drew his hand up to salute Sorbet. "Sir, I have urgent ne-"

"Tagoma! What is the meaning of this? You can't just burst in like that, at least bow before your Emperor!"

The tall and slender alien known as Tagoma could only let out a disgruntled cry of surprise as his eyes moved to note Cooler, whose presence he hadn't even realised was on the ship in the first place. "L-l-lord Cooler, sir! My deepest apologies, I didn't mean to intrude. I didn't think you would be…"

From the way the Arcosian's eyes rose slightly at the display of the apologetic soldier, Sorbet would almost say that the royal was amused. "Be where? Here? On this ship, watching hundreds of men charge to their deaths as more of my empire crumbles before me?" Tagoma didn't respond with words, only bending his back to bow his head before his lord. "Good boy. Now that you've had time to calm down, you may speak"

"I come with urgent news, we've received a distress signal. It was weak but we were able to track it to it's source, Earth" There didn't need to be any further explanation of the planet. Earth, the planet where Cooler became the last of his lineage, where his spot on the throne was secured. His brother, his father, both cut down by one monkey.

But Sorbet was rather confused on how this counted as urgent news. "Earth? I don't remember sending any of our forces there after our scouts left years back. Either way, why would a distress signal be important enough to interrupt Lord Cooler while he's trying to keep this empire running?"

Before Tagoma could open his mouth to respond Cooler's voice instantly butted in. "It came through the Cold Ops Frequency didn't it?" The hover chair almost ran Sorbet over on its way to bring Cooler closer to Tagoma, not caring about anything in it's way. "Our scouts left that planet years ago, meaning that there's only one possibility"

"Yes, sir. We received it this morning, taking hours to verify the signal"

Sorbet switched his gaze between the two, completely flabbergasted as Cooler's expression finally changed to one of deep thought. "B-but what does this matter? I'm sorry, my lord, but I do not understand the significance of this revelation"

"That frequency is a private frequency to only be accessed by those of the Royal Clan. Aside from Frieza and Father, the only other people with access to the frequency would be Father's personal generals, the ones he took to Earth" The hover chair brought him inches away from a sweating and kneeling Tagoma. "You're sure of this information?"

"I'd stake my life on it, sir" The man kept himself straight, always placing himself at a lower height than Cooler as a sign of their positions. "This could mean many things, my lord"

"Frieza and King Cold are dead, our scouts can confirm that. But the Generals were always unaccounted for, it was assumed that they all perished along with Frieza, but…" His eyes drew down to the floor, his mind spiralling out to look at all the possibilities. "If even one survived, why would they wait years to make contact?"

"Maybe they had to make repairs?" Sorbet suggested.

"For over ten years?" Cooler fixed Sorbet with what one could assume was a glare, as if the small blue man had suggested something unbelievably stupid, making the already short man feel smaller. "But if there's a chance that one still lives to this day…." King Colds's board of generals were men at the top of their fields, men who were handpicked to nurture the Empire through its toughest times. They were the ones who Cold trusted above all, who he confided all of his secrets, all his blackmail, treaties and hidden resources to. Even Frieza wouldn't of known was they knew.

With the Empire in the state of disarray it was in at the moment, both the guidance and knowledge even one general could provide would be invaluable. Knowledge of old debts that could bring rebellious planets to their knees, plus the instant credibility one general could bring to Cooler's rule. It was too good to be true, but it was worth checking out. "Prepare my personal shuttle, I'm going to Earth myself. Either to rescue a trusted and loyal subject, or to wipe that eye sore from the face of the universe"

"Lord Cooler, if I may…" Tagoma's voice manage to stir up some confidence just as Cooler pushed himself out of the Hover Chair, still towering above the two occupants of the room; the royal giving the man a nod as a sign to go on. "I'd think it best if I accompanied you to Earth, Sir. We already know that planet is a source of treacherous and powerful enemies after breeding killing machines like Son Goku, you'll need backup. Commander Sorbet can back me up on my skills as a warrior"

Sorbet began to rub his hands together along with a smile that almost made him look like some type of salesman. "Uh, yes. Tagoma is among one of our finest soldiers, rivalling even those of the Ginyu force in skill!"

Cooler replied almost instantly. "Good, then I trust him to keep you safe, Commander. Just as I entrust my military tactics and affairs to you while I am gone" Cooler did not need Tagoma, he already had his personal squad in mind. "Call in my Armoured Squadron, I trust them above all else to personally accompany me"


	4. Trunks's Nightmare

"Onions… Check. Radishes… Check." The Saiyan girl found her thoughts muttered aloud as she scribbled away ticks on the back of a ripped and old candy bar wrapper, the closest thing to paper she could find at the time. The brow remains of chocolate acted as some sort of ink, leaving smudges that were supposed to represent ticked check boxes. "Note to self: steal pen and paper from Bulma"

Currently the grandchild of Son Goku held her face in a hesitant twist of skin, her back to the Earth's surface as she allowed her Ki to freely carry her across the deep blue ocean of the sky, wondering if she had forgotten anything. _Wasn't this what the candy check list was for?_ She internally groaned, glancing at the plastic bag hanging loosely from her arm, holding a slew of vegetables within its plastic walls. Curtesy of her sweet Grandmother Chichi.

Pan's visits to Chichi's old home in the mountains were pretty frequent, usually retrieving some more natural food that the woman grew in her backyard. Usually radishes. Videl always said that just because the world was blown to hell, did not mean Pan had an excuse to skip getting her nutrients and vitamins… _Or whatever Radishes have in them…_

Even when not on a food run Pan was happy to just pop around the house for a nice visit, the company of Chichi was a pleasant one. Well, as long as you didn't do anything rash or stupid… Which Pan had become guilty of frequently, meaning she was met with a surprisingly effective frying pan many times. Besides, the best part of visiting Chichi was when the old lady would sit Pan down and regale her with a tale of her late-husband. Though some tales Pan found hard to believe, she was still iffy on how Goku had somehow sent a rabbit to the moon. Weird.

She made up her mind. "Note to self: Find a rabbit. If my gramps can do it, I can do it as well" The last part remained half smudged as Pan was starting to run out of chocolate ink. "I knew I should have taken the other wrapping paper from the trash, it was so much droopier"

Just as she finished her regretful thought a familiar set of stretch scenery began to slowly make their way into view, prompting the girl to finally turn her body up right to cut her light gliding into a furious rush through the air. She spotted the usual row of wrecked houses that many people called home, all surrounding an uneven mixture of stone and dirt that made up the street, as the whole neighbourhood had been sinking into the ground since it was first built.

One house managed to stick out in her eye, though she wouldn't really call the slanted collection of wood a house; more like a smaller version of a barn. It stood on the edge of the 'street', it's crimson skin long since fading away, wooden surface groaning in pain as it aged. A single window allowed natural light to beam inside the far from luxurious home, giving a perfect view of… Of it.

Pan always passed by it whenever she returned home for the day and the same thing always happened, she would land on the uneven ground, internally groaning about how her feet ache due to the floor, she'd attempt to take a few steps forward. But then her head would turn. She couldn't help but be drawn to it, a tidal wave of discord drowning her heart.

The stone was smooth to touch and hadn't lost its even edge to time yet, Trunks had carved it out himself. While not that tall in actuality, it always gave the impression of towering to Pan, like it had suddenly grown eyes to stare down at her. The round head drew her attention to the words burned into its skin.

 **Here lies Son Gohan  
Age 757 – 780  
A pure heart to the bitter end**

"I bumped into Trunks again, Dad…" she only barely heard herself mutter, her feet already following a will of their own and dragging her closer to the grave stone. "He misses you, you know. We all do" Hands fell instinctively into a nervous, closed off, but respectable clasp over her stomach. "Oh, and he totally agreed to train me now. Isn't that cool!? I'll be just like you in no time. Okay, yeah, he said he would 'think about it', but that's totally a yes in my books… You'd be proud of him, I know it. And soon, you'll be proud of me too"

Before Pan could say more to the cold shoulder of the grave stone a loud thump erupted as a large blonde man was thrown through the front door, a smaller woman with a glare that brought a whole new meaning to the term 'If looks could kill' followed suit. "For the last time, Sharpner. I don't care how many dead flowers you bring…" She brought her foot down on the man's neck, an experience that was akin to a hammer dripping on top of paper. "When I say get off my property, I MEAN GET OFF MY PROPERTY!"

After what sounded like the cracking of bones the attacking foot raised an inch, allowing the currently terrified man to scramble away from the glare of Videl Satan's wrath. "Hurry up, before you force me to start cursing in front of my little girl" Her arms seemed to have been pulled into a permanent cross at angle with her hips, the woman managing to take on an intimidating stance. Which sent what Pan had been told was an old childhood friend off running. "I swear, he never learns. One of these days I'm going to actually break something"

"Well, if the house is anything to go by…" Pan replied with a sideways grin, her head leaning to the left to peek around the corner of the 'house's foundation, where cracks infested the walls. "I think you already have. Don't remember those cracks being here this morning"

"Maybe tossing him through the door wasn't such a good idea…" Videl began to wonder only to merely shrug a few seconds later, before securing her eyes on the bag hanging limply rom Pan's shoulder. "You got everything from Grandma ChiChi?" Pan responded with a brief nod, prompting Videl's stare to become a more suspicious gaze. "Did you get into trouble?"

"Why do you always ask that!?"

"I sent you to get all this hours ago, you can circle the globe in that time by now" The woman made her way over to her daughter with lips purses in suspicion, slipping the bag off Pan's shoulders and onto her hand. "What kept you? I don't need a pack of dinosaurs arriving at our doorstep because you crashed into their nest again"

"That was one time! How was I supposed to know any better, I was still a beginner back then…"

"Or another teenager you body checked into a wall"

Pan crossed her arms and pouted, locking Videl's gaze with her own determined fire. "I'm still not apologising; she knew what she did." The mother merely pursed her lips and letting loose a sigh of annoyance, her hand coming up to rub her fingers against her temples.

"And here I thought you were supposed to mature when you reached 18" It made Pan giggle a bit as Videl's stretched glare turned into a motherly smile, before turning her back to the girl to head back inside (Stepping over the remains of the door). "I hope those Radishes are still good. Kami knows what you've put them through"

"Yeah, yeah…" Pan fell in line with her mother to continue into the 'house'. "You might wanna hold off on sending me for radishes now, I convinced Trunks to start training me"

Videl's expression grew sour at this as she commented "That's worrying"

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine and won't do anything too dangerous"

The woman's expression quickly changed to a teasing smirk. "It's not you I'm worried about, it's Trunks. I can barely deal with you and I'm your mother" Truly, Videl's heart went out for the Saiyan half-breed . "How is Bulma and Trunks these days? I haven't see them in a while. Hell, I haven't seen Bulma since…" Videl found herself letting out an awkward cough to end that sentence, pushing past another wall with a crack spewing down it.

It was undeniable that this make shift house was in a state of disrepair and not exactly the most liveable place in the neighbourhood, knowing Bulma, Videl could probably have found a better place in those camps outside Orange Star City where the Recolonization Project was underway, but both Pan and Videl couldn't leave. Well, they could. But they didn't want to. It had been sixteen years since that tragic event in this very town, where a loving father had fallen against the Android monstrosities. Videl supposed that why they had moved here, so they could always be close to his grave, for comfort, for him.

"Sorry, I didn't ask. I was too busy stealing Trunks's drink… And Bulma isn't usually at Capsule Corp anymore when I swing by" Pan tried to fill in the void, her arms returning to nuzzle against the back of her head. "She's really busy, huh?"

"She does have a world to rebuild, those Briefs never back down from a challenge"

"Can't blame them" Chirped the little quarter Saiyan, skipping past her Mother and squeezing through the half open door into the living room. Inside she took a second to quickly reach to her right and flick on the lamp, acting as the only source of light in the room, illuminating a small table in the middle where an old and battered radio sat. "Wonder if there's any music on today…"

Videl followed with a roll of her eyes. "Real music died years ago, now all you can get on that old thing is Country" Pan would never understand her mother's flat out hatred for that particular musical genre, so she simply shook her head and returned to adjusting the knobs on the radio, static crackling from the device with a few moments of distorted and muffled voices in-between.

Soon the static began to clear up in some areas, Pan now slowing her turning of the radio's knobs as she tried to get the exact frequency. For a girl as impatient as she was, the process was quite an arduous task. The moment she could finally make out the voice of the radio host she let out a sigh of relief that almost knocked the radio over.

"-iss Brief's efforts to restore Orange Star City to it's former glory have been a resounding success, in under six months the Restoration Project has given many families the break that's been 17 years' overdue. Recently the finishing touches were finished on the Town Square, introducing Orange Star City's newly built and furbished Mayor's office"

Pan let out an uninterested groan before reaching out to adjust the knob again. "This isn't music. This is boring"

"And with that astounding news, we have brought in a special guest who wishes to make an announcement, he-… Uh, Sorry, Sir. But what was your name again?"

"Just call me 'Announcer'. That's what everybody else calls me"

"Uh… Right"

Videl's ears perked up at the guest speaking, her head tilting slightly before she recognised the voice "That's the announcer of the World Martial Arts Tournament, I heard he now runs a food stand in West City. What's he doing on the Radio?"

"Alright, Folks. The Host here is making funny faces at me, so I'll make this quick. As some of you might know, I'm the announcer of the World Martial Arts Tournament, a prestigious event where the most skilful and powerful warriors from all around the globe gather to lock horns in a battle of wits and strength. Where their very bodies are taken to their absolute limits and beyo- Huh? What do you mean I'm dawdling? Let me have this, it's been yea- Fine, fine, fine"

Pan turned towards her Mother with a questioning gaze. "Hey, Mom. Isn't that the tournament Grandpa won?" The Announcer continued.

"So, I'm proud to announce after 29 years, the return of the Budokai Tenkaichi Tournament! That's right, a month from now, on the eight year anniversary of the android's demise; you can come and bear witness to the heart pounding action on Paypaya Island!"

With that the Radio Host cut off the Announcer yet again and moved onto to other news, prompting Videl to walk over and turn off the radio as Pan seemed… Paralyzed. "That's great news, I haven't seen two professionals going at it since I was a kid an-… Pan" Videl was unsure of whether to laugh or sigh with embarrassment at the sight of her daughter practically drooling at the news. "Stop drooling, honey"

Her words fell on deaf ears as her daughter continued to hold the look of a starving predator that had just stumbled upon a juicy prey. "Hey… Mom. Do you think that mayb-"

"Pan, I may be your mother, but you're twenty-one. You don't need to ask me for permission to enter the tournament" Really, Son Pan could be read like an open book. "Just don't overdo it, not everyone is a quarter alien demi-god"

* * *

Trunks was usually a night person; he'd always found the strange allure of the moon shrouded by the teasing fog of the late-night clouds pulling him in. In the darkest of times back when 18 and 17 roamed the earth, he could remember finding comfort in the moons glow, tearing through the shroud of fear like a beacon, leading him to better days.

Admittedly, that line of thinking mostly came from a mix of desperation and flicking through the pages of some pretentious philosophy book. But the feeling still held merit. But tonight, was strange for Trunks. As he walked down the street of Orange Star City, receiving various looks of both fear and amazement from those around him; there was a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. A foreboding one.

It was a feeling he knew well, one that he had thought would never rear its head again. The feeling that clawed at him when he was only a moment away from discovering Gohan's corpse, when the two androids had him surrounded, when Cell smugly tempted Vegeta with perfection. The feeling had never been misleading.

When his sixth sense told his head to turn he could only feel himself caught paralysed, his stomach seemingly turning when his gaze met another. Just across the street, under the shadow of an empty doorway, the absence of moon's glow on the man's face only brought out the empty azure iris's. The man leaned against the wall, allowing Trunks to just see one side of his green vest, hanging loose against bulging muscles, just under locks of snow.

"No…" Trunks found him voice dragged violently from his throat only to make a pathetic squeak, he recognised man- No, that was no man. That was a heartless android hiding behind steel flesh. Even if Trunks couldn't fully see the face, he could recognise the signs. The vest, the pants, the skin colour and the exact same hair. Those might not have been enough the confirm the person's identity, but with only a moment of thought Trunks easily confirmed that there was nothing to sense from the empty vessel. "Not again, not now"

Like a hurricane tugged on reality itself everything around the boy seemed to shift, from the ground beneath his feet withering away, to the foundations and walls of every building tearing away like rotten flesh onto a scorched surface.

Trunks felt his heartrate increase from a slow drawl into a rushed and furious tempo that acted as a painful sensation within his ear drums. A blanket of damp rain water stained his shoulders, he could hear them beside him laughing, taunting. And just off to the side would be where he lay, as one hand easily wrapped its fingers around Trunk's neck.

 _"You better get out of here while you still can"_

 _"You lost, little boy?"_

"No!" With only a blink the distorted world of the past drained from Trunks's view, leaving him back on the cold streets with the moon glaring down at him. As soon as he came back from his flickering nightmare Trunks was surprised to see a few people knocked flat onto their backs in front of him, all looking to him like he had done something wrong.

Upon further inspection Trunks found that he was no longer standing on the pavement, but hovering over a small hole that used to be a path, with a few cracks spreading to the building beside him. He must have powered up on accident when that Android cau- "Ah!" His eyes snapped back to across the street expecting to see Android 13 charging at him or at least approaching, but all he saw was that empty doorway, untouched without a soul in sight.

"He's gone…" Without even turning to apologise to the people beside him Trunks rushed over to the doorway, his eyes frantically searching for any sign that the android had been there. "Was he even here in the first place? I made sure to blow up all of Gero's labs when I came back… 13 shouldn't be around, it's impossible!" He had met 13 once before back in another timeline, where the Android had gone head to head with Goku with two other Androids by his side. They were defects Gero had deemed unfit to kill Goku, only releasing them out of desperation. After that Trunks had to entertain the possibility that Gero had many other androids hidden away across the globe.

He wanted to pass the experience off as a mere hallucination, 13 couldn't of possibly be there taunting him, Trunks had blown up all of Gero's labs. And even then, why did 13 run away? It was just a hallucination… It had to be.

But as the saiyan half breed took off into the night's sky, the moon bearing witness to his desperate rushing through the air, he could fee that his gut had already decided. If there was android running amok, no matter how impossible it seemed to him… He had to find out for sure.


	5. The Rouge's Gallery

Silver eyes stared up into the abyss of light above, all three suns of the planet had risen above perfectly aligned over the shell-like tip of the mountain top, it's gaze did not burn to touch, only emitting a small warmth that combatted the cold conditions of the planet.

From her perch on the tip of her axe handle, Yarimasu gazed upon the tempered sky with a slight frown of disappointment, she felt the usual presence she'd embrace on this old mountain top a creeping sensation that told her of what lay beyond the fabric of space here. But now it also felt hollow.

"You'll harm your eyesight glaring at the sun like that, you know" The joyous call of Shimasu dragged her ever burning gaze back to the ground, where the tall blue-skinned man sat in front of her, cross legged on the marble flooring of the overlook planted on top of the mountain.

He wore robes befitting of a Kaioshin with an appearance of light crimson that exposed his broad shoulders and muscles, leading up to his thick pink lips and dark red mohawk that made his overall face a goofy mess. In front of him he'd placed two steaming cups emitting an addictive odour and a kettle atop a blanket. "A blind sister will do neither my heart or our mission any good. Now come, join me for tea"

Yarimasu stood her ground atop her perch, her owl-like irises returning to their original position. "He remains silent to me" Her hands rose to slam together, her beady eye closing her off to her sight for a moment, attempting to calm the nerves within her mind calling for panic. "He's there, I can feel him. Yet can he not hear my pleas?"

"Maybe he's simply resting? It has been a stressful century"

"He doesn't sleep, he loses the strength to stay awake" While her eyes remained closed her other senses opened, feeling the area surrounding her, the raised stature of every growing grass blade, the groaning branches of the oak trees that's number swallowed the surface below the mountain and the multiple walks of life that scaled the mountain. "He's making me nervous"

"Don't allow your paranoia to cloud your mind. It has been a long journey, don't let your nerves get to you simply because the end is so close at hand" He did have a point, as their plans came closer to fruition, the Kai's own disbelief at how far they had managed to come made her all the more certain that something was about to come along and destroy their whole foundation.

"Shimasu-" It was then that the people Shimasu had sensed earlier finally arrived at the top of the mountain, hulking creatures built of yellow scales snapped their jaws at the two as they charged forward. There seemed to be five in total, practically teen agers by this planet's standards, surrounding the outlook with their sharp teeth bared. "Savages. How rude."

"Kill the invaders, they are puppets of the World Razer!" Screamed one of the lizards, launching itself into the air over Shimasu, aiming it's claws towards a surprisingly indifferent Yarimasu. "We cannot let them release him!"

He landed graceful and dashed around the Kai in question, seemingly disappearing and reappearing in various spots around her, it was a clear tactic to try and disorientate the Kai. It might have been effective if she opened her eyes. "Puppets? Our strings were cut long ago"

The lizard slammed his foot into the ground and launched off it to power his momentum into his charge, slicing his claws through the air, aiming for her throat. Only his claws stopped abruptly inches away from his prey, a gloved hand snipping up and catching him by his wrist.

"Mind if I cut in? I've been itching for a fight" The hand increased the strength of her grip, before immediately tugging down on the limb, in one swift motion she had torn off the creature's arm. It took him a moment to process that his limb had just been torn off, then cam the surprised screams of pain, before he finally stumbled back to glare at his attacker.

His eyes instantly went to the playfully active furry tail that wagged in could be seen as a rude manner. "Y-you're a Saiyan. But I thought Frieza killed you all!"

The Saiyan woman's sadistic grin faltered to a sour frown, scoffing to her self before she landed a kick to her opponent's head. "Don't remind me. So embarrassing." Her hit sent the lizard off his feet and to the ground, gasping for any sort of relief to his pain. "Hmpf, seems like even Guardians have to learn their place. Beneath the superior species' boot heel" With that she made no hesitation in slamming her heel down on the creature's throat, finishing him off.

Turning around she was met with the sight of the remaining three fighters, their fourth seemingly meeting a similar fate to the one she had just disposed of. He laid face down with a hole through his chest, no doubt the work of the dark skinned Arcosian that floated above them, catching one of the three with his tail and swinging them around.

"Apologies, Lady Shimasu, they managed to avoid our notice an-"

The female Kai shut the Arcosian's apology up by quickly telling him to "Just get rid of them, they're hurting my concentration" To which he responded by simply nodding and sending the lizard in his tail's grasp flying into its comrade, ending up with the two foes sprawling across the air in a heap.

"Out the way, Conehead, I've got them!" The Saiyan called out with excitement oozing from her voice, she'd been thirsting for a fight for quite a while. Quickly, she seemed to vanish from her spot and re-appear in front of the scaled ball of bodies, a grin plastered on her face. Narrowing her eyes at her target she began to charge her ki, turning her body sideways, pulling her arms back to cup her hands, knees bent and left leg raised. A purple ball of blinding light began to form in her palms, forming cracks in the ground around her feet.

"GALICK GUN!" With that scream she thrusted her hands outward to unleash a full beam of Ki that had no trouble engulfing and disintegrating the two lizards, carrying what would remain of their bodies across the planet. "Now that they're do-"

"You missed one" A short lived gasp of anguish caught the Saiyan's attention as the Arcosian fired a single beam through the creature's head, at least giving the man a quick death, allowing his body to crumble to the floor.

"I didn't miss him, I merely trusted that you'd take care of him" She shrugged in response, turning to face him with a chuckle "Sorry if I overestimated your petty abilities, Fraz-…Cool-…Frost?"

"Dashade."

"Right, right. I mixed up the names again" She made her way past him and proceeded to the still stiff as a statue Kai, glancing sideways at the other Kai who sought to make sure his tea wasn't damaged. In a mocking tone, she added "I keep getting so confused, all you arcopoians look the same"

With a simply glance she received a crude grin as the Arcosian visibly frowned at her jab. "It's Arcosians, Monkey."

"Did I touch a nerve, Welp?"

"Not yet" He responded dryly, his feet reaching the ground and his hand instinctively moving to lock behind his back.

"I better keep on poking then" They both came behind Yarimasu, Dashade bowing his head respectfully while the Saiyan simply decided to cross her arms with a smirk. "You still grumpy, Boss? We took 'em out before they could do anything"

Finally, Yarimasu's eyes opened. "You are quite incorrect, Torne. Check your scouter" Her tone urged the duo to quickly reach up to their green scouters, flicking the small machines to search for power levels; Immediately the scouters went crazy, screaming beeps into their ears as it found an ever-increasing power level coming up the mountain. "These were merely fodder meant to weaken us before the main course arrives. The parent."

As if on cue an earth-shaking roar travelled up the air in front of them, threatening to knock over Shimasu's tea. Torne and Dashade pushed themselves back into a fighting stance, but Yarimasu simply raised her arms and shook her head towards them, she would handle this. Immediately following her silent order the surface of the mountain began to vibrate with the approaching roar, the edges beginning to unravel as the glowing sharp tips of dead claws, as big as a pillar, came crashing over the side.

Before them the creature soon towered over them with only half of it's torso showing, it's massive hands digging into the ground while it's long snout loomed above them bring the colossus to a frightening height. "That is a fully grown adult of this species, there's probably a few more spread across the planet. You just killed it's children"

"I suppose it won't take 'They started it' as an answer?" While Dashade gaped at the colossus, Torne only grinned in anticipation. If only this planet had a moon, then they could have a giant battle. So many missed opportunities! "Those… Were children?" The Arcosian was a bit taken back by this factoid.

Shimasu was the one to answer in a sort of calming way. "By our standards those were walking talking adults, but technically, yes. Those were children"

Dashade looked back at the corpses they left for a moment, while Torne rolled her eyes at the display. "Lighten up, Conehead. That just means this guy will give us a better fight"

The giant opened it's snout to let out a deafening roar, with its massive size the roar caused Dashade and Torne struggle to stand their ground. A glare of hatred aimed straight for Torne, who made no attempt to hide that she was currently standing on one of the corpses. "YOU. DO. NOT. BELONG!"

"We apologise for the brutality, but they were in our way" Yarimasu shot back with a cold exterior, leaping up from her perch and slamming her foot into the side of the lizard's face, sending him reeling to the side. "Just like you are now. A fact I take no joy from"

She landed back on her axe handle, feet slipping down past the tip to tease the blade at the bottom, effortlessly she kicked the side of the axe like a piston, sending her and the axe into a spinning motion. As the giant moved to catch Yarimasu in his hand, he was only met with pain as the axe sliced upwards through the middle of his arm quickly, leaving half of that limb hanging off from the slash.

"Like Father, like Son" Torne noted gleefully. Shimasu held no hesitation after that of the opportunity given to her, now the Lizard's neck was left undefended, prompting her to give her axe one more kick so that it flipped into her hand. Allowing her to grip it firmly and hold the weapon up high. The Kai moved and within a second was inches away from the giant's neck, effortlessly swinging down and with one hint of emotion she honestly tells him. "Sorry for the inconvenience" As Yarimasu lands back on the mountain she can't bring herself to look at the colossus's head toppling off his body and falling to the bottom of the mountain.

"You beat him with two clean slices? How boring." Torne's disappointed tone pulled down her lips into a pout. She was expecting a spectacle, but she guessed this is what happened when fighters differ so widely in power.

"We're not here to satisfy some sick bloodlust, Monkey" Dashade remarked, a slight bite to his words. "We're here to make a difference" Torne only rolled her eyes at him yet again.

"I'm here for the Saiyans, and for Saiyans fighting is making a difference"

Yarimasu returned her weapon to her back as she made her way towards the squabbling dup. "Do you to ever stop bickering amongst yourselves?" Before either could answer with any sort of remark, she continued. "We have far more important matters to deal with. Dashade, have you tracked down that… Wizard?"

Dashade immediately straightened up like a soldier getting ordered around by a screaming commander. "I did, Mam. He covered his tracks well, I can understand why the Supreme Kai had such a hard time tracking him down. Conveniently, he's heading to Earth as we speak"

Her gaze focused on Torne. "Have you, Trosen and Kasonna made any progress on Earth"

"Some." The Saiyan shrugged "We took care of Universe 7's Supreme Kai. He actually managed to put up a bit of a fight"

"And the Z sword?" Shimasu visually cringed at hearing the report of Shin's death.

"Ashes"

Yarimasu breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, I don't want Elder Kai getting out and giving a possible threat a power up. Anything else?"

"Oh, yeah… I activated Gero's other androids"

The Kai's hand was very tempted to reach around and re-drawn her mighty axe "What!? That wasn't a part of the plan!"

"It was the Doc's idea. He even upgraded them, made them kneel to us and then had them off to cause havoc" Torne moved her hands to her hips, showing no visible care for Yarimasu's agitation. "They're an asset so far. And they're not hurting the plan, so I don't see the problem"

"The problem is you didn't even consider running this by me or my brother"

"You're not always available for a chat"

Yarimasu stared the Saiyan down for a moment, furrowing her brows in frustration, she knew that Torne had her part to play in all of this, but the Saiyan was troublesome. Like most Saiyans really. "Dashade will accompany you back to Earth, where I expect you to follow the plan and gather the appropriate energy. We have spent years for this moment, do not waste away all our efforts to satisfy your petty needs. Now."

Torne turned away with a scowl and a scoff, not willing to bark back a snippy comment. Silently she walked back over to Dashade and grasped his shoulder, bringing two fingers up to her forehead. A moment later she and Dashade disappeared from view.

"You're far too tense, Sister. Drink." Shimasu had finally risen to his feet, holding out a cup for his sister, which thankfully she finally took bitterly. "Are you sure you want the likes of Torne to head the operations on Earth? Do you trust her?"

"I trust Torne to hit our enemies hard. And I trust Dashade to keep her in line, he's used to keeping rabid fighters in check given his background" She raised the cup to her lips and took a relaxing sip. "Our biggest problem now is the Saiyans on Earth, while we did come to this timeline because of the absence of Goku and Vegeta, the Prince's son may cause us some grief"

"Best not to dwell on what might be, but on what we do know. Let us trust that our rouges gallery can push on, maybe those Androids will come in use after all" He finished his own drink, picking up his fallen staff before returning to his sister. "I guess that's us off then, to Universe 6"

"Yes…"

"Neither of us enjoy the idea of slaughtering our brothers and sisters, but we can't have Champa or anyone else interfering"

Yarimasu locked him with a cold glare. "I won't enjoy it, but I won't forget that these are same brothers and sisters who so casually abandoned you" Her chin raised up to look skyward again, the hollowness was gone now, he was listening. "Champa, Beerus… Upon their corpses we shall break his chains, and he will march to the throne of the Omni-King and show that justice comes for those that deserve it, no matter their status. We will save you, Rushifa"

* * *

The night was once a precious commodity, a marvel of untapped beauty, a realm of the remaining and the shadows. The day time was reserved to be the point of movement, it was the unseen rule that the majority of motion would be carried out under the protectful gaze of a sun. When darkness beckoned it was a sign for time to slow, to quell, to capture history.

"And yet, then came sentience. From ants, to dinosaurs, to humans, to Saiyans. Creatures sneak into nature, fester in it, they fear time and disrupt it" It stood alone on a roof up high, watching the machinations of a southern bred machine as he fed the paranoia of the boy with a pleasant grin stretching it's cheeks. It took the shape of a man, slender and regal, but pale as the moon as if born from marble. It's right hand, the only one lacking a glove allowing its violet nails to glimmer, shot out as if to further dramatize his monologue. The hand rotated to face the ground, dark powder daintily falling from the creature's grasp. "The trees, the mountains, the sky… They all understood nature's place. But these? They grow, they work, they progress, they develop, they create, destroy… No matter the hour, no matter the view. Honestly, no wonder I'm so overworked"

Pupiless eyes gazed down at the paranoid Saiyan as he took off to the sky, Trunks letting his fear and paranoia infest his expression. "You're all so frustrating, my children. You most of all, Trunks" A light chuckle escaped his lips, past the crimson beak of his half-mask. "Ah, so beautiful. This world, so beautiful in it's desperation and survival. It's existence should be an insult, but I can't help but get all tingly" His gloved finger ran up the expensive fabric of his crimson and violet suit, clutching his chest where his heart should have been.

His monologue was dissipated with the sudden intervention of a deep female voice over his scouter "You're so weird, Kasonna." Her tone and comment only brought more chuckles out of the man, allowing the two sharp fangs at the front of his teeth to gleam for a moment.

"Oh, Torne. It warms my core to be graced by your sultry vocals" The full blooded Saiyan was a simple joy, a promise to liven the unmoving. "Though I have little understanding of my strangeness, I am only appreciating the scenery"

"You're standing on a roof, licking your lips, and hungrily caressing your nipples"

"I'm very enthusiastic in my appreciation"

"Perv." She stated plainly with a rather aggressive edge, poor thing was bored out of her mind. "What's the tinhead trio up too?"

"Playing with their food. Tut, tut, tut" Thirteen, content with the reaction he got from Trunks, strolled away with a satisfied smirk. "Gero programmed them with no manners, how rude"

"And here Dashade was hoping we'd go for the more subtle approach, he's gonna be grumpy when he finds out the Androids are already poking the hornets nest"

"You don't mind?"

A snort came from the other end. "As long as Thirteen remembers that the half-breeds are mine, they can cause as much havoc as they want. That's why we re-activated them, wasn't it?" Kasonna's eyes trailed across the streets below him, stopping on the scene of a mother and son making their way home. "We're gonna fight this timeline's defenders sooner or later. I'm getting excited just thinking about fighting one of those brats, I've been waiting around with my blood pumping for weeks. I need to fight" She didn't really count the lizards.

"I believe it was the good Doctor's idea to unleash the other androids, to test his new technology on them" The mother separated from the boy, instructing him to stay by the window of a store while she went in, he was oh-so scared. "Now, if you'll excuse me…" The boy looked up, his eyes drawn to the crimson cloak that stood out in contrast to the night sky, his eyes widening it terror at the sight of the man on the roof. "I am quite… Hungry"

"If anything happens, I'll be waiting for an excuse to jump into the fray" Before the boys eyes, the scary man in the spooky cloak had vanished, leaving no trace or evidence that he was there in the first place. "I'll tell that walking piece of blubber that his trinkets are doing fine. Good hunting, Pervert"

The boy turned back towards the door to the building, rushing over and slamming his fists against the hard-wooden surface, tears already threatening to burst from his eyes. "Mommy! Mommy! I saw a monster!" After a full minute of no responses the child began to full-out cry and shriek for his mother, his cries for help echoing off the empty street. He was alone.

Soon, the door finally moved open, allowing the light within to spread outside and drown the boy in it's glow. His mother's sweet face greeted him first, her arms following through to wrap around the boy in a caring manner, holding him close as he instinctively buries his head in her chest; bawling his eyes out.

"Shhhhh, Pumpkin. It's going to be alright" Her tone was sweet and stuck to the boy's ears like honey, the soothing voice managing to stop his running tears. He looked up at her, sniffling away in his fear.

"I-I was so scared… I twas dark, a-and there w-w-was this thing on the roof up there"

"Timmy…" He was met with a disappointed frown. "What did I tell you?"

"Mom, I'm serious!"

"I told you to stay right out here" All the honey was gone from her voice, her head shook, emitting a cold and nauseating aura around her. It was as if a piece of her warmth disappeared with every shake. Something was awfully wrong. "You disobeyed me"

"B-b-but… I saw…"

"You need to be punished" The boy only now noticed that the light allowed him to see the inside of the building quite clearly, and when he glanced his gaze was instantly drawn to the floor that now laid motionless on the floor. He wouldn't make out her face, but her hair and clothes… They looked just like his mother's…

"Mommy… Let me go…" At first it was a soft plead, before erupting into a desperate roar. "L-Let me go!"

Only then did 'Mommy' smile, but not a kind smile, not a sadistic smile, not even a tired smile. This smile was one of hunger, one of a predator. "You only have to give me your future"


	6. The Road Ahead

"This will not stand! I shall not take these insults anymore!" The small imp's shrill chords of steel ripped through the ears of his companions, Shu and Mai simply groaning at his expression of anger. This had been the fifth outburst today.

"Sire, please…"

"I am Emperor Pilaf, my destiny is on a throne, royalty is in my blood, leadership is my very bones!" Pilaf shuffled forward to hoist himself up on a small crate, as if it was a podium. "My brain power surpasses that of a computer, Gods bow before my knowledge. AND SHE HAS US CLEANING!?"

To emphasize his point the 'Emperor' held aloft his might broom, raised it up high like a sword and poised it towards his imaginary enemy's face. Ready for revolution. "Well, no more! I shall not go silently into the storage shed! We shall march upon her ivory towers and… Uh… TAKE OUR FREEDOM BY FORCE!"

Mai stopped her feather dusting to give Pilaf a sceptical look. "Fight? With a broom, a feather duster and a sponge?"

The imp gave this a moment of consideration, tapping his chin thoughtfully as his other hand twirled the broom around. "…You're right. We'll need more. A mop and bucket, perhaps?"

And so his two companions fell flat on their faces once more, the sheer stupidty displayed weighing them down. "Sire, with all due respect, that's a terrible plan!"

"This is an amazing plan, my magnum opus of plans!"

"Well, if you compare it to your last take-over-the-building plan, I guess so…" The dog blew into the crate adjacent to Pilaf, causing an explosion of thick dust to engulf the room, by the time the room was clear, Pilaf was covered.

"What's that supposed to mean!? My plans are great!"

"I'm sorry, Sire, I just don't see how we were supposed to overthrow the government by launching sheep at King Fury's castle" Pilaf was about to reply, but was cut off by Mai.

"Or how asking the Eternal Dragon for youth without thinking about your wording would help us"

"You said you'd never bring that up again!" Pilaf raised the broom towards the door, aiming the fluffy end of his weapon threateningly towards it. "At least I got us out of there before Goku's kid arrived, he sounded pissed…"

As he finished the door was pulled open very carefully, Android 16 unsure of whether he'd accidentally rip the door off of it's hinges, in one hand he balanced two crates, kneeling slightly to get them into the room. "Is everything here all right? I heard yelling" First, the android's eye examined Pilaf, noticing the layer of dust embracing him. "Are you covered in dust on purpose?"

Pilaf had found himself frozen with his vice rushing away like a coward, leaving the rest of his body behind. All he could muster at the sight of the machine was a constipated "Ah.h.h…h…k…" No matter how peaceful 16 seemed to be, Pilaf would never shake off the effect of those… Darker years.

Next, Android 16 looked towards the broom, which to Pilaf's horror was still pushed out as if he was about to impale someone with it. "Oh, were you playing a game? I'm sorry to interrupt, but you are required to work"

"Yes. Game. Yes, yes. No planning, no scheming, no Blue-haired-old-bag hating. WE ARE GOOD!" Pilaf managed to force out of his mouth in one short, quick, desperate breath. "How are you, bestist buddy, old pal!?"

If the Android had detected the panic and fear of Pilaf's obvious lie, he didn't show it. "I am doing well. It is nice of you to ask. I apologise for my absence, I was forced to return to the lab so that I could inspect some possible damage to my hand"

"That must be hard" Mai piped up, trying to keep the conversation going and give her master a few moments to calm down. "How do you fix yourself if the problem is internal? Do you have to screw out layers of your body?"

"I merely detach my hand at the wrist" 16 smiled with a slight bit of surprise registering on his face, not expected anyone to take an interest in the specifics.

"You… Detach your hand?"

He simply nodded in response, putting the crates down besides the door with ease before reaching towards his right arm and twisting it a few inches, resulting in it easily falling downwards with a pop like a lid opening. Giving them a nice view of the threatening metal work that went into his arm canons. "Gero build me with destruction in mind, so my various body parts hold propulsion systems that are intended to replicate the energy blasts that Son Goku use, as well as launch deadly airborne explosives"

Mai shook her head at Pilaf's watchful and fearful gaze, as well as her canine companion's sparkling amazement as the Android began to screw the wrist of his metal hand back into place. If the android wanted them dead, he would do so in an instant, and antagonising the rather peaceful machine wouldn't help them at all.

The ginger haired machine offered a few confused blinks, Shu was almost drooling. "You have reverted back to a puppy, I take it you find enjoyment from my ability?"

"YOU'RE SO COOL!" Was the small Dog's screaming response, surprising the android even more. "You have rockets, laser beams and you can remove your hands! I used to have an action figure like you, except it had a rocket pun-… YOU CAN DO A ROCKET PUNCH!"

"Rocket Punch?"

"It would do this thing where it's fist would fire out, like BLOOOM and then it would- POW" Pilaf could only groan at his henchmen (Who was on the verge of tears?), was Shu always this much of a dork? Pilaf reasoned that the dragon balls must of reverted the dog's brain as well.

Android 16 smiled for a moment, though it was held down with the closest resemblance to regret he could muster "You are mistaken, I am an android. One that was built to harm others. That is nothing to be proud of" It was true, he was made to hunt down and kill the source of Gero's obsessions, but he could never bring himself to harm someone so innocent. His very nature was a failure.

"No, you're Android 16" The dog yet again smiled

Mai elbowed Pilaf in the side when he rolled his eyes at Shu's statement, speaking up as well. "Yeah, that's something to be proud of!" With that, she moved back over towards the front of the storage shed, taking a small case in her hands. "Anyway, we have work to do! Don't want the ol- I mean, good Miss Brief's to catch us slacking"

16 merely nodded with his smile now full, taking in the two's kind words while taking slight note of the small imp's discomfort, though immediately his eyes focused on the case in Mai's hand. "Could you please put that back where you found it, that is mine"

"Huh?" The woman turned her gaze down to look at the case more thoroughly, there seemed to be a stack of old paper under the glass top, all marked with a stamp (A star with the words 'Jingle Village' between all it's centre points) "What's inside?"

"Letters" 16 held out his hands with a pleading shake of his fingers, as if he was being handed a sensitive bomb. Mai complied and delicately put the case on top of the Android's fingers. "I have a friend in Jingle Village, he's an Android too, and he doesn't like violence either. I don't get many chances to go out that far, but sometimes Pan flies over there to bring him letters" With a brief pause to carefully lay the case down in a clear spot, if he could Mai was sure the Android would be sweating. "I think you'd say that he's my best friend… I ask that you don't tell the Briefs that, I don't want them to feel like they've failed and thought of as lesser after all they've done for me"

As if on cue Trunks's deep voice could be heard from the entrance way. "16, I'm sorry to interrupt, but… I need your help"

16 almost looked like he was panicking at Trunks's appearance, as if he had been caught committing unspeakable acts against nature. The azure haired Saiyan held a grimance in his gaze, a hardened expression taking over his face. "How much did you hear, Trunks!?"

The demi-saiyan offered 16 a befuddled look for a moment, slipping out of his serious and haunted expression from before. "Huh? I only just got here. What, did you say something important?" Where 16 responded with a furious shake of his head, before looking to the Pilaf gang, pleading for them to comply. To which Trunks easily noticed, though simply shook off the weirdness, he didn't have time to muck about. "Anyway, I need your help. It's urgent"

"Urgent? Has Pan accidentally blown up another building? Miss Briefs was rather scary the last time that happe-" The Android stopped talking as he registered Trunks's expression, sweat gleamed off of the boy's frown, unsure eyes darting around them. It was like the boy had just woken up from a nightmare. "What do you need?"

Trunks led the Ginger haired android away from the Pilaf Gang, dragging him across the yard with a hardened gaze. How could he put this? "Gero made other Androids aside from you, 17 and 18, right?"

16 merely tilted his head at this. "We already know this, that's why we sought out Gero's labs" Why would Trunks be asking about information he already knew? Unless… _No, please let it not be the case._

"We sought them out, yes. But did we find all of them?" Trunks turned to face the Android, only to instantly glance away with a tinge of fear. With all these memories resurfacing, Trunks could bring himself to look at another android directly.

"We found all the labs that the data suggested Gero kept" A week after Trunks had defeated Cell, he got to work looking for the multiple safe houses Gero had the Red Ribbon Army create for his experiments. Soon, the Saiyan had found 16 still slumbering in a lab, and spared no hesitation before dragging him out and reactivating him. "There were no androids created after Android 20, if that's what you were thinking. That monster, Cell, was the last of his research. And you made sure he was no more"

"I'm not talking about new androids" By this point Trunks's sweating was only increasing, soon he'd be hyperventilating as he paced across the grass. Thinking of all the possible way he could of missed Android 13. The database Trunks was able to extract from the computer within Gero's lab, he thought the data there was all, but what if it wasn't everything? Had he screwed up again?

"Trunks, the older models were defective and thus were deactivated by Ge-"

"Android 13. White mullet. Shit eating grin. Southern Accent. Trucker" Trunks had suddenly spun around to face 16 with a glare that could rival his fathers, just looking at 16 all Trunks could think or feel was the metal exterior 16 used as flesh. "I saw him, in the city"

"Trunks…" 16 kept it slow, safe, Trunks was visibly upset and 16 didn't want to risk setting the boy off. Though he did have a brief thought as to how in the hell did Trunks know who 13 was. "Are you sure you saw him, maybe you were seeing thin-"

"Yes! No… Maybe" Trunks barked out mostly to the air, shutting his eyes and whipping himself around. "It could be a hallucination. He was only there for a few seconds, a few taunts… And then I saw THEM… and Gohan was… He on the ground…" The boy's breathing came a slow jog as he moved to brace himself against the wall of the Capsuel Corp building, his left hand forming a fist. He spoke through gritted teeth. "But what if it wasn't? If he was really there, that means we missed him. We didn't find them all… And what if there's more? If 17 and 18 weren't the end… Then all these years that we spent… T-t-they'll…"

The Android approached the troubled boy and placed his hand comfortingly on Trunks's shoulder, offering him a simple smile. "If 13 aims to stir up trouble, we will stop him, together. My sensors indicate that you are far superior to that Android. We will not let this hard-earned peace be shattered" 16's gaze turned to sweep over the scenery over the Brief's fence, looking over the various buildings back to working condition because of their efforts. It was a hopeful view. "I will double check the database you provided, we could have missed something. After that, I will calculate the most probable zones in which other safe houses could be located. And if anything comes up, you shall not face it alone. You, will rest"

Trunks was silent for a moment with his head pressed up against the wall, taking in 16's words. He could use a few winks. "Thanks, 16. I'm sorry I… Snapped at you" He finally allowed himself to smile at 16, only focusing on the android's similar expression. _He's not just an Android, he's my friend. I'm too paranoid._ He bent his back and bowed as an apology to the man.

"It is quite all right, Trunks. You are in a very delicate state, it is only natural for you to experience such outbursts" 16 bowed back to Trunks respectfully. "I could never hold a grudge against someone who has already shown me such kindness as taking me in"

"I'll never understand how Gero could program such a loving nature into something he intended to use to kill" Trunks mimicked 16's earlier action and placed his hand on the Android's shoulder, with a reassuring nod. "Also, let's not mention our investigation to anyone. As you said, it's also likely that my nightmares were just starting to get to me, until we know for sure… Don't make anyone panic."

"I understand, as the earthlings like to say. I shall stable my lips shut"

The two-move started to head back to the storage shed, all being calm now, before Trunks stopped in his tracks; closing his eyes for a moment and raising his head thoughtfully. "Pan's here" He informed 16 in a regretful tone, he needed sleep, Pan was just going to overwork him.

"Trunks, there you are!" As Pan came into view from above, lowering herself down the large oval building, Trunks did remind himself that however exhausting; she did have a smile that always lit up his day. "And 16 too! I've been looking for you both"

Trunks glanced at 16 with a slight smirk "Maybe she did knock down a house…"

Which prompted Pan to pout as she agreed with herself to ignore and forget that incident, before holding a letter up to 16. "Just came back from Tingle village, Eighter hopes you can come and visit soon. Him and Snow want to show you their sticker collections" At this the girl gave a bored shrug "Kind of weird, but ey"

16's face lit up at this, eagerly taking the letter from Pan and offering her many thanks. "Stamp collection? Oh, that would be amazing! He keeps talking about it. I'm so jealous"

"Maybe you should start one, big guy" Pan shouldered a large paper bag which gave off a rather explosive dour, one that instantly captured Trunks's nose and set his Saiyan blood ablaze. Food. "Don't know where you'd get any though. Maybe Grandma Chichi knows. She knows everything"

"Pan-" _What's in the bag!?_ "-you wanted to see me as well?" Trunks tried desperately to keep his mind off the food that was only protected by an inch of easily rippable paper. Now, he remembers that he hasn't eaten much today…

"I seem to recall somebody promising me a training session…" For a moment her finger poked at her chin mockingly, causing Trunks to roll his eyes as she leaned closer to add. "This person, who I remember being a very handsome, kind and all around awesome guy who would love to train me"

"I said that I'd think about it, I did not make any promises, or state a date" His eyes were drawn back to the bag of juicy goodies. "Now… Stop brown nosing"

"But, Trunks! The Budokai Tenkaichi Tournament is returning soon! And I wanna enter"

"Pan, I can't-"

"Oh common, I can convince you. Look!" She brought the bag up tantilisingly close to Trunks's nose, an evil smirk gracing her lips. "I'll seduce you the way anyone gets a Saiyan's attention, through their stomachs!"

Adroid 16 fixed her with what Trunks assumed was a raised eyebrow. "I do not think Miss Briefs would appreciate such lewd acts towards her son on her lawn" _Do I even want to ask what 16 thinks she meant?_

"P-pan… I said…" It was so close, damn his stomach. He shook his head. "I was saying that I couldn't do this today. I've had a… hard day, okay? I need to rest. But if you say it nicely… And leave the bag, we can start tomorrow"

Her eyes widened and her features practically glowed as punched upon Trunks, tackling him with a hug. "Yes! Of course! I'll be here, same time? Same time. I'll get some training gear. Do I need spandex? Or gi? Maybe I'll just get some shorts. Thanks!" She was grinning from ear to ear, and Trunks couldn't help but smile at her.

"So, the Budokai Tenkaichi, huh?" If the Androids or any other insidious threat are out there, he won't let them ruin this. For Gohan. For Pan.


	7. Meet the Armored Squadron!

The scenary below her always looked like a repeated painting stuck on a merrigo round, churning out ahead of her to give her the impression that she was making anything close movement in her flight. It felt so strange zipping through the sky that she had to keep her eyes peeled for when the subtle changes in the terrain appeared to remind herself she was making any progress. Or many she was simply nervous.

Pan's mouth was as try as the wasteland that tricked into the Earth's canvas before her very eyes, prompting her for the fifth time to lick her lips for some moisture. And for the sixth time adjust her gloves. And for the sevenths look down at her attire of training gear made of a tight blue short and shorts combo ( _Thank you, Mom!_ ), wondering if she was wearing too much for a training session, or too little. She didn't recall hearing about how the Z Fighters had a tendency to rip off their shirts for some reason.

 _Maybe it's a secret technique, does nudity increase my strength? But only in the middle of battle. Maybe I should try that, catch Trunks off guard? Or would he be expecting that? Wonder if the androids did that…_ While her nervousness fuelled her inner monologue on the 'science' of nudity power, her hands went back up to secure her bandanna, which kept her hair in place and out of the way.

She wasn't usually a person to strike a nervous chord easily, really, she was usually seen as too out going and not knowing her own strength, but today was a special occasion. Today was training with Trunks. And there was more riding on it then just her getting strong.

Really, this would be the first time that the boy would be able to glimpse her potential, and admittedly she wanted to make a show of it. Maybe it was that quarter of Saiyan blood in her sparking a hidden pride, but she was worried how Trunks would treat her in their sessions.

Would he still see her as the little girl who needed him to hold her hand when he taught her how to fly? The baby who punched him into the wall because she was afraid of his strange hair? Would he even treat her as a student? Would he hold back? Would he even take her seriously? She'd never know what was going on in his head, or if he was pushing her to her fullest, so she had to task herself with making sure to leave Trunks with the impression that she was not someone in need of the kiddy wheels.

It wasn't hard to find the Saiyan Half-breed, after all he was the only living thing in the area that had a noticeable trace of ki to sense, as well as standing atop the highest peak of the landscape's mountain with his sword stabbed into the ground; the glare of the sun like a beacon to all those who looked towards it.

When she landed she noticed that for once Trunks had ditched his usual mid-rift exposing jacket, Pan guessed that he probably had less reason to show off his muscles in peace time. He greeted her with a smile. _He's in a good mood? Maybe?_ Before confusions drowning out his eyes as he took in her clothes. "I was right, I should have come naked, shouldn't I?!"

"Wha- No!" Trunks exclaimed, crimson staining his cheeks as he tried to shake away the imagine in his mind, where did she get that idea!? "Please, keep your clothes on. I have no intension of pissing off your mother!"

"I was going to say that you kind of remind me of my father, with the stance, training tights and all" He broke back out into a chuckle. He was better than yesterday, she could stick her finger on it, but she found that something seemed off about Trunks the other day. Tense? 16 and him seemed to be on edge before she got there.

"Oh, really?" Pan gaped for a moment, looking down at herself. "Wait, your father wore a bra too?"

The boy merely gripped the bridge of his nose at the question. "NO! I mean, your clothes kind of look like the spandex he'd wear" Now he couldn't get the image of Vegeta rifling through Bulma's closet out of his head.

"Wait, how would you know, I thought you'd never met your father?"

For a moment Trunks had forgotten that Pan knew nothing of his journey back through time. "Oh? Really? Yeah, that's probably right" He tried to pass if off as nonchalantly, and though Pan clearly felt that there was fish in the air, she didn't push it. She just fixed him with an unimpressed rather Vegeta-ish look. It's not that Trunk's trip to the past was a terrifying secret or anything, but his Saiyan side had to admit that he rather ashamed of his uselessness in those times, and he also didn't want to risk Pan knowing that there exists a timeline where her family are still alive. _She might do something… Crazy._

"So, did you already have this all planned out? Or did you just pick this spot at random?" Pan still hovered a bit, peeking over at the wasteland's landscape. "I assumed we'd just be training at capsule corp"

"We're part-Saiyan, Pan. This training will be a gruelling and powerful process, aspects like ki are not concepts to be taken so lightly, if I wanted I could turn this whole land into glass in a blink of an eye" He faced her with a serious crease to his gaze, making sure she took all of this in. "We hold power that far outstrips even the strongest human. If used carelessly a lot of people can be harmed. I will teach you discipline, technique and control" He moved to crouch down in front of her, holding one finger up, and to Pan's amazement easily creating a ball of ki on the tip.

With ease he flicked the ball of energy into the air and allowed the two to watch as it exploded above them, manging to leave a small imprint around the two despite it's range. "The art of fighting is a thirst for improvement, and a battle of determination. This wasteland is our training ground because anywhere else we'd endanger others" He racked his brain for words that sound like something Gohan would say back when he was simply a student. "From now on you will be my… Pupil. Are you prepared to learn? Willing to endure? Uh… Respect my wisdom?" And he was starting to lose himself, but Pan at least seemed invested.

"I'm willing, I am, I am!" Seems like Trunks would be taking her seriously, or was simply fluffing himself up to be more dramatic. It really seemed to fade in place of Pan's excitement at the ki ball, she was absolutely ecstatic at a chance to learn about ki control, her mother was nowhere near an expert; maybe she could even learn the Kamehameha! "I'm a Son, fighting's in my blood, I was to live up to my grandpa's legacy. Please, train me!"

Trunks gave a sad smile at her pleading, her begging striking a familiar chord for when he convinced Gohan to train him. Though her cries held a much more joyful undertone to her declarations, she didn't need to be a fighter, she wanted to be one. And he'd be damned if he denied her that. "No time to waste then" He stepped to the side to reveal a small looking case sitting behind him. "You know, this is where Gohan used to train me, way back when…"

Pan moved over to the case, taking the hint to open it and take out it's contents. "I miss him too, Trunks…" She was surprised when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Then let's make him proud. Where he and Goku are watching from King Yemma's" Dying back at the Cell Games had been an eye opening experience for Trunks.

She smiled at Trunks's words and took a moment to pat the comforting hand, before reaching inside the case and taking out an assortment of wrist bands and shoes, all noticeably troublesome to pick up. "What are these?"

"Weighted clothing. You'll be wearing these at all times during our sessions. Your struggle will increase tenfold with all of these weighing you down, I visited Master Roshi to get them, he made them in case Goku ever wanted to continue his training" He attached the wristband, boots and gloves to Pan, who immediately fell faint under all that weight.

"How am I supposed to fight like this? I can barely move!"

"That's the point, determination and willpower is a big factor in your abilities. Every piece of clothing is the doubt weight down on you, every snippet of failure, every cry of your bones, every yell that it's all pointless. If you can't push yourself through all that, you can't excel" He watched her drag herself around the ground with great difficulty. "Get it?"

"I think so…" She started attempting to punch the air, but found it hard to raise and aim her fists. "By training my body to adapt to pressure, I'm making my body gone for when I don't have anything weighing me down?"

"Kind of" She finished her attempts by stopping in front of him, a bit winded, to which he simply smirked. "Now, I'll see you when you get back"

"Back? Back from w-" She had no time to react as in the blink of an eye Trunks's image flashed in and out of view, his fist flying forward to just and inch away from her chest, unleashing a powerful shock wave that blasted her off her feet and sent her tumbling over the mountain's edge.

Trunks moved to watch her fall all the way to the foot of the mountain, worried that h might of hit her too hard. "Training time"

* * *

A blaring barrage of noise completely shattered the peaceful silence of space, crimson light drowning the interior of the space shuttle as at approached Earth at a modest pace, it's thrusters steadying the craft as to avoid getting too close to the Earth's atmosphere. Leaving the ominous glare of the sun to tower over the ship.

Within the halls of the craft there was no end to the constant noise, the high-pitched whine of the alarm whittled away at the walls before multiple doors began to automatically open, followed by a marching band of hurried footsteps, armoured boots crashing into a metal surface.

Leading the charge was the shortest of the three, a man of fair blue sin and a wild array of short curled blond spikes. The man barked orders at the two larger men behind him, signalling them to fan out in formation. While short in stature and rather fragile in complexion, Captain Salza was Lord Cooler's right hand man for a reason, and was treated as such.

"We're just rushing to the observation deck, it ain't an emergency, why do we have to-" The hulking green wrestler's complaint was cut short by Salza's curt response.

"Ze are ze Armored Squadron! And ze need to stay in form, or even the Ginyu Force will out-pose us!" The third member, tall and lean amphibian creature of light brown, found himself rolling his eyes at Salza's comment.

" The Ginyu Force can't do a lot of posing at the moment, they're kind of dead" Neiz pointed out, catching up to his blond haired comrade, while also starting to wonder if the ship corridors were always this long. "I mean, they don't even have bodies anymore after the whole 'Namek exploded' thing"

Salza scoffed "Bah! Don't be so narrow minded, Neiz, z'ere are many other ambitious soldiers eager to show us elites up. V'e must be vigilant!" He soon came sliding to a halt in front of the door to the observation deck. "Besides, Dore is only whining like a wounded mare because this is the first exercise the lazy vegetable has gotten in months. Layabout!"

"Bollocks! Do you not see these muscles, Pretty boy?" Dore stopped to flex at his superior, resulting in Neiz crashing head first into the walking mountain's back, not fazing Dore. "Though, I wouldn't mind a few more winks…"

A multitude of tutting emitted from Salza as he gave a taunting smirk, shaking his head at his comrade. "I hope not, v'hy anyone v'ould enjoy gazing at z'ose mounds of flabber are beyond me. Just hurry up and get Neiz off the floor, if we don't hurry Lord Cooler will-" Salza's expression feel as the door pulled back, revealing the back of their Emperor calmly taking in the view of the large blue planet, with his trademark sour look burning holes into the window. "-get here first… My lord!"

As fast as Neiz had been dragged up, swaying like a drunken sailor in his state, he was immediately smack back down onto his knees to join his team in paying his emperor proper respect. "A minute and a half, Salza. You're getting sloppy" Cooler's gaze didn't shift, instead giving a simply nod to tell the three to get off the floor.

"Apologies, my lord! Our sloppiness disgraces us" Salza pushed his head down into an apologetic bow. "But may I be the first to inform you: It is an utter honour to be back under your command. We were never allowed a chance to congratulate you on your new throne, Emperor" It had been years since Cooler had brought the three together, not only as a team (Much preferring to have them separate to lead his forces elsewhere), but under his watchful eye. It was a joyous reunion in a way.

"I see the years haven't changed your attitude, Salza" Cooler responded dryly in what could be considered a compliment. "But there is no need for congratulations towards the ruler of collapsing empire"

Dore raised a hand to yell his objections "Oi! Mind me language, sir, but that's nonsense. We're number one in the universe! No bloody gobshites can touch us"

The Arcosian's hover chair turned so that his cold gaze could face Dore directly, his finger raised in a single threatening gesture. "I dislike lies from my men, Dore. Even if in a poor attempt to boost my ego. You three have been on the front lines, faced the rebellions, you should be able to see clearer than most the state of my Empire"

Dore immediately felt his lips clamp up into silence "Of course, my lord" Salza spoke for his green skinned friend, rising from his bow. "Dore was only trying to help. Just know that your personal squadron are always behind you, no matter what traitorous swine from backwater planets may have to say about our great leader"

Cooler's lips were pursed for a moment, maybe attempting a smile, or a frown. Simply stating "Noted." Before gesturing for them to join him up near the observation window. "This is Earth, once home to the same Monkey that made a mockery of my family. And now it serves as one enormous tomb for some of our Empire's top minds… Oh yes, and my family as well" The three crowded around their leader, Neiz finding it somewhat difficult to keep balance after being knocked t the ground twice. "This dust ball also possibly holds the key to our success. Salza."

The blue skinned captain nodded in response, continuing the briefing as he explained to his comrades, pulling up a picture of what looked to be an empty wasteland on a screen beside them. "While this may look like a simple collection of rock and sand, years ago this was both the site of King Kold's landing, and his death at the hands of filthy filthy monkies" Next to the image, he brought up a map of the area. "Our scouts have made little progress on the current state of the planet, and were unable to pinpoint the exact point where King Kold had first landed. But we have reason to believe that one of Kold's advisors might yet have survived the Saiyan attack. And it is of great interest for us to retrieve this person, alive"

Cooler chimed in with a serious scolding scowl glaring at Dore and Neiz, his tone clear. "To be clear, this is not a plea for conquest. As mentioned before, reports are inconclusive about the status of the planet, and for now we'll assume that the same mechanical monstrosities that disposed of that Saiyan garbage long ago still wreak havoc on the planet. Our objective is to investigate the site of my father's death for clues, find the legitimacy of our dear general's chances of surviving, and to retrieve them without attracting any needless attention. I shouldn't have to remind you how important this mission is, which is why I set my trust in its success to you, my elite unit. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" Neiz and Dore broke into a rousing cheer in response, committing their own 'special' interpretation of a salute (Leading to some very awkward poses).

"And if our enemies to make themselves known, do remind them why we are the ultimate power in this universe" With a curt nod Cooler's gaze returned to his second-in-command. "Salza, do you have a landing point?"

"By pulling together a couple of scouting reports, I've managed to pinpoint a location that is relatively free of life in it's general area. That should allow us to land without trouble, as long as we keep our power level's low and don't make a show of our arrival"

"Excellent work, Salza. And in such a small time frame. Remind me to give you a compliment later" Salza simply bowed as he moved over to behind the observation platform, standing by the ship's controls. "Now, take us in, quickly"

"Alright, everyone lower your power level, the people of this planet hold to ability to sense your energy signatures without the use of a scouter" The two moved to grab hold of something, bracing for impact as Salza started to increase the ships speed, catapulting it into the Earth's atmosphere. "Channelling ze engine power to thrusters, ve'll break through the atmosphere zo fast that these cretins won't even realise there's something in the sky"

True to his word, the ship shot forward and in seconds the barren void of space had dissolved into a calming scenery of sparkling oceans and towering islands, clouds wrapping around their ship like a blanket. The entire vessel began to shake violently, unbalancing Dore and Neiz, forcing Salza to grab onto the console for support and causing Cooler to lay his head on his closed fist to get more comfortable.

"Brace yourself, we're coming in for a sudden halt!" The window showed their ship careening down in an arc motion, just skimming across the water before the momentum of the fall sent it flying back up into the sky, the clouds briefly embracing them again. But soon after they came crashing back down, now manuvering through a maze of mountains that Salza clearly showed he was not expecting.

With a few close scrapes, sending Dore tumbling across the deck (A sight that sent Neiz into a laughing fit), another swerve up (Forcing Neiz up into the air to slam his head against the ceiling) and one sudden twist the ship managed to come out rather… Not destroyed. Ending with the ship puling to a sudden and powerful halt, hovering over a grassy plain. "Ve… Have arrived…"

Cooler rolled his eyes at Salza steadying himself, before looking over the rest of his fallen unit, finally removing himself from his hover chair and allowing himself to be seen standing in his full glory. "Salza, make sure Neiz hasn't a concussion on his hands. I'll be taking in the sights" He move out of the room in a blink of an eye, properly internally overjoyed at the prospect of finally stepping off the ship in so long.

Nodding, the young Captain moved over to quickly assist his amphibian friend. "Neiz, are you okay?"

"Urg… This is why you never let a Brenchian pilot…"


	8. A Trial of Endurance and Willpower

At first Pan had struggled to push herself up after the devastating shockwave sent her flying off the mountain, both reeling from the force of the attack and at awe with just how much damage Trunks could pull off without even physically touching her. How strong would it have been if that punch hadn't been a few inches away from connecting?

Eventually she managed to raise her arm, but was instantly hit with the weighted additions to her training gear, surprised at how much force was contained in such small accessories. It brought a grimace out of her as her arms grumbled in resistance, easily dragging her back down to hit the earth. _I can barely move in these things!_

From her position, she could get a good look at her surroundings, surprised to find that her impact seemed to have left quite the impression on the ground, her body lying at the bottom of a small crater created by her body. Thick trees filled out the edges of her vision as well as the intimidating image of the mountain towering over her, it was quite big.

 _Trunks said that these were originally made for Grandpa…_ She mulled it over, imaging Son Goku with the weights attached, effortlessly doing flips and kicks to put on an impressive show. _If they were good enough for Grandpa, they're good enough for me._ The image of her grandpa pushing on through with the weights sat prominently in her mind, she wasn't going to fall flat before even reaching the starting line.

With that she grunted in pain, exerting her muscles to push on forward and raised both her arms for another attempt. The weights tugged at her limbs, her doubts prodding and laughing at her struggles, but still she carried on and attempted to ignore them.

Another inch forward, another cry for her to stop went on ignored as she put her back into it, bending forward, managing to pull herself into a kneeling position. Not long now, sweat was beginning to develop on the tip of her nose (The most irritating spot for it to be), dripping down to add an irritating itch her cheeks.

She'd managed to get both feet firmly on the ground, pushing up with her knees with a determined grin; her fingers just reached the edge of her self-made hole, digging the tips of her fingers into the dirt to grip the sides. Soon her was pulling herself upwards, each second was battle of will with the pain, and at the thirty second march her right foot reached the surface. She'd done it.

A relieved 'Wahooo!' let loose from between her lips before she rose to stand at her full height, looking up to the mountain top with a grin. Already, the weights themselves felt like less of a burden, as if the intimidation factor that had added more to her struggles lifted as soon as she managed to fully move with them.

"The objective of today's lesson is simple: I'm the target, you just need to grab me" Trunks's voice boomed over head from where he floated up high, looking down to her with a mixed expression. "Since this is the first time you've used weighted gi, the aim of today is for you to get used to moving around in them, when we're done they should feel like a second skin"

With that she saw the boy's form move away back to his original place on the mountain's peak, probably waiting with a smug look on his face, wondering how many hours it'll take Pan to even get up there. "I just have to touch him, huh?" She muttered to herself, a confident grin stretching her cheeks as she shrugged. "He must be joking, even in this weighted stuff I can probably just fly up there and poke him. This'll be easy"

Unless pushing against an opposing force, flying was mostly in simply allowing ki to flow around you and pick you up, the weighs would make this a tad harder, but with her new-found confidence she was sure that she could do it. Immediately she began to hover upwards, feeling the energy beneath her enveloping her form, tugging her body up like a limp puppet on a string. If it wasn't for the weights, she would encounter the usual feeling of weightlessness ebbing through her, instead she still had resistance trying to drag her back down.

Calmly she drew in a large intake of breath, elevating her lungs and spirit as she exhaled the air around her. With that she twisted her head upwards and pushed against the energy surrounding her, causing it to launch her up even further as if pushing it only made push back harder, ignoring the weight.

She ascent up the side of the mountain slow, aiming to avoid alerting Trunks to her very short journey upwards. _Alright, just because I can get up there doesn't mean he'll just let me touch him up._ Her thoughts expanded as she drew closer to the top, prompting her mind to briefly blush at the thought at touching those muscles, before immediately shaking those rather lewd thought out of her head. Now was not the time. Later… Later. _I need a plan of attack, I'll circle around and take him from behind._ She forced a fist into the palm of her hand, nodding to herself in agreement. Her head finally rose past the peak, allowing her to take in the view, time to put that plan into action.

Unfortunately, the view she was presented with simply showed her plan going up in smoke, Trunks stood by his sword, eyes close, a hand raised and a smirk on his lips. It only then hit her that the energy required to get her into the air made it immensely easy for Trunks to sense her. "Try again"

With that one sided and short lived exchange, a small ball of golden energy shot from his palm and slammed into the ground in front of her, exploding right in her face and sending the poor girl right back where she started. With a swift kick to her confidence on the way down for good measure.

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her annoyed cry of 'ow' coming from the foot of the mountain, he was happy that Pan was adjusting to the new weights at a steady pace but was worried for a second that his blast was too powerful. He knew that she wouldn't stay down for long and simply waited for her next move, Pan was a determined and strong willed woman, just like her mother and father.

With time to kill, Trunks returned to thinking about his new duties as Pan's master. He was happy to be worthy of the title, but he was still rather new at this, hoping to mimic Gohan's training exercises from way back. _What else did Gohan do? He didn't just put me through gruelling sessions, he also always looked ready for action. Wise, determined, merciless. Like a master._

And right on que a minute later he felt her rushing towards him again, though this time she seemed to of realised that sneaking would be a waste of time and went straight for throwing herself at him at high speeds. Trunks merely leaned to the side, raising his leg to spin around, avoiding her form fly past him, and slam the heel of his foot into her backside. Making for a loud landing back down.

Trunks scratched the bottom of his chin, narrowing his gaze as a sign of deep thought. Thinking back specifically to what Gohan looked like in those sessions. _He always stood a certain way…_ Trunks then proceeded to spread his feet apart, adding in his arms crossing to try and imitate an expectant stance. _And his face, what was that expression he always had?_

Pan decided this time to come from above, flying above the mountain and charging straight back down towards Trunks, the sweat drowning her reddening skin becoming more and more apparent. This time, Trunks simply stepped aside and allowed Pan to crash headfirst into the mountain top, almost looking similar to a drill as the impact took her all the way through the mountain. Again, hitting the bottom.

The half-breed pulled his face into a frown, before shaking his head. _No, no, no. Gohan didn't frown, he just never looked impressed. He had a face that always wanted more. Making me want to get him to smile more._ He puckered his lips in a childish put. No, that didn't work either. _Kind of like Father's face now that I think about it._

"Gohan, if you can see me from King Yemma's place, what would you do?" He wondered out loud, looking up towards the sky, hoping that there was at least a small chance that Gohan's spirit could drop him a tip or two.

When Pan came this time, slamming her feet into the ground (While dust and rock hung off of her ripped shirt) in an attempt to get enough momentum to slam into Trunks, he easily shot out his hand and grabbed the girl, holding her at bay at arm's length. Unfortunately for him, this time he faced some… Minor complications.

"T-trunks!" Pan screamed, prompting the boy in question to realise exactly what he'd been grabbing. His hand had found itself squeezing something soft, round and very… Squeezable. And as crimson embarrassment began to drown his face, Trunks found himself hoping now that Gohan was not watching them. "This is totally cheating!"

Pan, despite the rather precarious situation and the even deeper shades of red reaching her cheeks, still tried to make use of the positon, uselessly stretching her arms forward, hoping to catch Trunks off guard while he was frozen stiff. And after some pathetic grunting and flailing, Pan found that Trunks was just out of her reach. Of course.

"P-Pan, I didn't mean to…" That didn't stop the girl from continually trying to make jabs at the boy, hoping for a lucky shot or for her to suddenly gain the Namekian ability of stretchy arms. Fighting the temptation to focus on the accidental groping. Soon though, even she realised that this attempt was yet another failure, her arms now falling hopelessly and limb by her sides.

With a sigh, she grumbled out. "Just… Throw me back down the mountain" To which Trunks immediately complied with and send her ramming back into her ever-expanding crater. Leaving the boy to simply shake in shame and embarrassment, first day as a master and he's already fondled his student. "Well… At least Master Roshi would be proud"

Back at the bottom of the mountain Pan was taking a moment to breathe and rest her muscles, as well as plan out her next move. "All right, that was awkward, never seen Trunks flush so much. He couldn't even move…. Hmmm, maybe I can use that" Briefly, she considered the strategy of distracting Trunks with an embarrassing display, but shook it off. It could work, but she also didn't want to make poor Trunks feel THAT uncomfortable.

"But when I get up there, he can already feel where I am and predict my next move. With expert reaction time" Her eyes trailed up the mountain, taking note of how wide and intimidating it was. "If I got the drop on him, I'd have a chance to do something. I'd have to slow him down somehow… But if he senses me, he's already prepared for me. Unless…" The mountain had many ridges and paths jutting out around its exterior. If I scale the mountain and keep my power level low, he won't be able to counter so easily me. And then I have an opportunity to surprise him with something…"

Admittedly, the plan was vague and had many holes to fill, as well as being a demanding task in of itself. The mountain stood tall and strong as a daring obstacle, with the weights pulling down on her body, could she really climb the mountain without any flight?

Again, she inhaled and exhaled, pushing her doubts aside. All that mattered is that she needed to do this, this was her path to becoming a better fighter and she had no intentions of lagging behind it. She would endure. With confidence brewing in the pit of her stomach, and determination tugging on her brow, she began her trek.

Immediately, it was a struggle to say the least. The rocky ledges and natural inclines of the mountain's surface were not made to be climbed on, getting a grip on them in the first place was hard enough, but Pan's natural strength made it a test of patience as well as she had to avoid griping to hard that she broke the rock.

The weights of course did their job well of making every action a hundred times harder than they need to be, forcing Pan to make every step a twisted landing, making sure that her foot had nowhere to slide off to due to the weights. Before she knew it, she had pulled herself about 20 feet off the ground, the foot of the mountain where her trek started already starting to fade into the large and thick tree line.

She kept her breathing to a minimum, short gasps and silent intakes, as she didn't want any chance of a curious Trunks hearing her struggle. Plus, breathing in too much invited dust and dirt to rushing down her throat along with the air and make everything worse.

To make it an even more aggravating process, every move she made had a chance of loosening a few shattered remains of other rocks, most falling down on top of her, popping down her shirt or taking cover up her hair. All adding to scratch and irritate her skin.

Soon, she found her footing just underneath a large rock face on the side of the mountain, which jutted out far enough to leave Pan unable to see how far up the mountain she was. This did give her a moment to lean against to rocky wall and take in the shade provided by the rock face, wiping her brow clean of sweat. The harrowing experience was getting to her, her thoughts already drifting to wonder if her plan was stupid. She didn't take into consideration the question of if she'd even have any energy to carry out the final steps by the time she reached the top.

It was then that she thought back to a phrase her father was rather fond of, of the few years of her life he had still been around, he'd told her "In any fight, will power is one of the biggest defining factors. No matter how outmatched, no matter how broken, no matter how tired. Willpower is what'll keep you going no matter how tough it is" She could do this, she just had to push on. Push on. Just a little more.

Soon, she was back on track, pulling herself over the rock face and finding that she still had plenty of a way to go, pushing herself harder to reach the top, no matter the scraped, cuts and bruises her arms and legs began to develop due to the stress of it all. She could sense Trunk's ki getting closer, it seemed as if the boy hadn't moved from his spot, most likely expecting that Pan was resting or had given up.

Another scrape across her arm, but she didn't wince, she could take it. She could take it.

The next step had her doubts screaming again, like a race to the finish line, the more she pushed the slower the other competitors got.

A few more minutes and she could see the top, it was so close. Her brain told her to rest, to just stay put for a few more seconds. But she knew that if she did, her doubts and exhaustion would catch up. She was going to win this race.

And then she reached it.

She reached the top. She peeked over the edge to see that Trunks's back was too her, seemingly unaware of her presence. Before looking back down to see just how far she climbed, the climb itself acting like a blur. She should have been feeling horrible pain right now, but her sense of accomplishment drowned that pain out, numbing her for at least a little while. She had to get into action before the pain kicked back in.

The girl's foot rose to take its place on the mountain's peak slowly, silently hoping not to alert the other Saiyan. It stayed there, ready to pull Pan's whole body up and launch her at Trunks when she was ready. During that she looked down at her hands, pushing the palms of both to face each other at only a few inches apart.

She needed to form a ki attack, which in itself was a rather daunting task for her. While flying did require her to learn basic ki control, she'd never really learned how to use that ki as an effective attack, especially towards someone like Trunks. Channelling her ki she could produce a ball, but whether it would be effective enough for her plans was yet to be seen.

Pan thought back to when Trunks showed her the power of his ki blast, concentrating on his hand movements and attempting to mimic them, she could feel the ki flowing into her palms; but she needed to direct them to be more powerful. She had to make her emotions physical energy to even scratch Trunks.

Her left hand pushed the ball into the safe palm of the right hand, before reaching up and joining her leg on the ledge. The ball was warm to touch, stinging her hand if it got to close to its exterior. She wondered back to her struggles, to all the doubts that plagued her journey up the mountain, on how they festered at the edge of her mind. All the anxiety, all the nervousness, all the fear. All of that flowed down her hand and into the ball of energy, she could feel it growing. Now, was the time.

The Saiyan girl's feet pushed against the rock, forcing her body to rise upwards and move over the edge, launching her forward at an accelerated rate before Trunks could even register her movements. Her right hand shot out and unleashed the weight of her struggles upon Trunks, the golden blast of light rocketing towards Trunks and slamming right into his surprised face, sending him staggering backwards, but not knocking him over.

Quickly, Pan leaned back, sending her body into a spin as the plan came to her mind, she aimed her leg to slam into Trunks. Using the momentum of her original launch to carry her to him and knock to boy down, securing her victory. The weights didn't even enter her mind, as if she could no longer feel them.

But with every plan, not everything went exactly how they were supposed too. Trunks easily recovered from the blast in record time, bending out of the way of Pan's intended kick, leading her to land behind him. She had about a second before he'd turn around and send her back down to the bottom of the mountain. She had to think of something now.

In a moment of desperation, upon landing she sent her foot slamming into the floor, pushing it forward so that it kicked a large section of the ground up into the air, causing quite a bit of dust to rise. Trunks was now turned around, already preparing to launch himself at Pan.

She didn't know if it was quick-thinking or instinct, but Pan immediately brought her two hands around and slammed them together with enough force to create a substantial amount of air currents slamming into Trunks with the oncoming shockwave. The air also took the dust with them, sending the dust right into Trunks's unprotected eyes. Practically blinding him for a moment.

When the dust had finally cleared, Trunks had already realised that he had lost, those few moments allowed Pan to get in close and seal her victory. And with a prideful smile he looked down to see Pan's hand pushing against his chest, the rest of the girl's body pushing on past him.

"Y-…Y-…You're it!" She huffed.

He chuckled at this, backing down as he caressed his now aching eyes. "That was brilliant, Pan! I didn't expect you to make such progress so soon, I'm gonna have to step up my game"

"Really?"

"Yeah-… Uh, Pan?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you grabbing my-"

"Payback."


	9. The Apprentice Steps Forward

The Scrolls of Time were eons old tools of the timeline's guardians, a thread of fate and destiny intertwined to form parchment that allows one to peer into the interwoven threads of history itself. Reality itself used as ink that illiterates the critical weaves of the past, present and future. Divine in origin, sacred in use and never ending.

So, how does a mystical scroll created to witness the fabric of time itself get bad reception?

"I swear the fates are laughing at me right now!" The Supreme Kai of Time bitterly lamented as he glared down at the open roll of parchment, which was currently enveloped in the same dark and twisted aura as before, except now the illustration on said scroll was now only showing static to the Kai.

"You mean this hasn't happened before?" Chorona inquired from the back of the room, here she stood atop a tall ladder, a pile of similar looking scrolls forming a mountain of paper in her arms.

"I've been the Supreme Kai of time for as long as the Omni-King himself has drawn breath, and I've never encountered such a problem" He held the scroll up to his face and waved the parchment around curiously, as if it was an antenna trying to get a signal. "I've witnessed changes to a timeline, yes, but that's never caused problems with the scrolls themselves" And so he flicked it.

"I don't think beating it like it's an old TV is going to help, Master" Chronoa pointed out as she slid down the ladder, a balancing act with the scrolls ensuing as she got off the ladder. It was a bit of a struggle with a back and forth, but the small woman managed to take the pile over to the Supreme Kai's desk while only dropping a few of them, her trademark pink hair barely visible behind the pile, even as she set them down on the desk.

"None of the other scrolls are acting strangely like this, it only seems to be this specific scroll, this specific time we can't look into. How strange." He placed it back down onto the table and flattened it out, stretching the scroll slightly, looking for some inane detail he could of missed. "These scrolls are bound by history, by the threads of time. Whatever has befallen this timeline, it's effect on time itself bares no good signs"

"Well, if the scrolls allow us to look over time, and this scroll can't look into the timeline; Maybe the timeline was…-"

"Erased? Destroyed? Cease to exist? I assure you, Chorona, the timeline itself is still intact. If it was to be erased, all scrolls connected to it would joins its fate" His expression only became more worried as he locked gazes with the static. "Though at this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if the timeline is falling apart. Wait, maybe…" The Kai had now begun to talk to himself, posturing loudly. "Changes cause splits, but time isn't made for that-… coping mechanism-… compressed? -…Maybe"

"Master." The woman interrupted his thoughts with a cough, rubbing the man's shoulder softly as the stress became evident in his expression. "You're running off on a tangent again"

"Apologies, Chorona. This problem is one I've never predicted or considered to be a possibility, so the road to finding a solution is a rather frustrating one" He moved away from the desk of scrolls, pacing around the room while his apprentice simply sighed. "I don't like the thought of interfering with a timeline with so many unknown variables, but…"

At this, Chorona fixed her master with wide eyes as she gasped out "You mean, you want to… Go down there?" The Supreme Kai of Time was a strict and stagnant man when it came to tradition and rules, for him to even suggest leaving the time nest, the situation had to be wearing down on him.

"If we cannot look into the timeline to find those who are responsible, the hands on approach seems to be our only option. Fact is, we're practically blind from here, we need eyes down there or we'll never know what's going on" He finished solemnly, predicting Chorona's response and dreading the answer he'd have to entertain.

"You're the Supreme Kai of Time, you're not allowed to leave the Time Nest" The woman responded almost immediately, hesitantly chuckling off the suggestion, her master wouldn't forget that little titbit; would he? Then it clicked.

"I am not allowed to leave the Time Nest. You, on the other hand…" Bitterness ripped into the older man's tone as he responded, he didn't like the idea of sending his pupil into possible danger.

The kai in training couldn't find the energy to move her lips for a few moments, the words escaping her, the idea overwhelming her. To leave the time nest, even for a short time, it was as if an unlit candle inside her suddenly caught fire; one that she never knew was distinguished before. "I can do it!" She finally formed the words, unable to hide her excitement as she practically leaped over to her rather surprised Master.

"I don't know why you sound so… Excited. This could be an incredibly dangerous undertaking" Depite his strict and ominous tone, his apprentice couldn't help but make a joyful giggle at the prospect, rushing about thinking to anything she'd need to take with her. "Chorona, this isn't a field tr-"

She picked up a tea cup, she might need something to drink out of.

"Time is not a matter to be taken light-"

Did she have any earth money? How would she get food?

"Chorona!"

Did Earth have bunnies? She always wanted to pet a real, live bunny. And maybe a tree, an actual living tree instead of the stagnant oak that stood in the time nest. Maybe she'd get to see an actual river, and running water!

"Stop milling about and TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!" For the first time in a good few years, the Supreme Kai of Time raised his voice at his apprentice, the surprise of the sudden shift in volume causing said woman to jump and thus fall straight on her ass.

"Ow…" Her master soon stood over her, staring down with a serious expression which always did a good job of making anyone feel like a child. "Sorry."

And so he let out a long sigh. "I know you've not had the best time adjusting to living in the time nest, but please keep in mind that this is no small matter. Many lives could be at stake, including your own. And my heart is already stressed enough"

"I understand, Master" He held out his hand and Chorona allowed him to pull her up, before she proceeded to smooth down and dust off her blue training robe. "It's just that I've never been outside of the time nest since I became your apprentice. Not that I don't appreciate you as a master, but it's nice to get to see the outside world again, even for a short while" She smiled meekly at the man.

"You are going to take my mantel one day. I suppose it's only fair that you enjoy all the chances out there the best you can before you're stuck here for eternity" He strolled back to the desk, taking the corrupted scroll in his hand and rolling it back up, looking down on it with scorn and remorse, hesitant.

Chorona followed behind him, her master's expressions only adding to the intimidation factor of what looked to be a mundane item. "This is a great responsibility, Chorona" He turned slowly, holding out the scroll towards her. "And now… I am entrusting it to you. I will guide you the best I can from the Time Nest through our communication system, but it's up to your to carry out the leg work"

His apprentice was silent, but determined, giving him a firm nod before she slowly reached forward and took hold of the scroll. Just touching it gave her a strange tingling sensation hat licked at her arm, it's very aura almost overwhelming. After a confident nod from her master, Chorona withdrew the scroll to her chest, her grip increasing the pressure on it as it's aura began to grow, drowning her form in a dark ominous void. The Supreme Kai of Time took a step back, keeping a safe distance from her as his apprentice's form slowly dissipated from the room.

Soon, the Kai was left alone inside the room, his only company young golden bird that had yet to awaken from it's deep sleep and his own doubts.

On the bright side, he didn't have to fear Chorona making him tea for now.

* * *

From the view point of space Earth was a simple wasteland flooded by salt, with its remaining land being islands of dust, like a shameful smudge on the canvas of the universe. But when actually stepping foot on the planet, Cooler couldn't deny that there was a certain beauty to the scenery. Their ship had landed on the edge of a split between the vast wonderland of rock and sand, and the tall grassy quilts hugging the opposing land.

It was a serene location with little animal life to speak of. One side was a clean canvas, a blank slate that his ship had no problems nestling upon. The other was a jumbled collection of narrow trees and open ranges, all with varying degrees of colour springing fourth from the ground. The image just needed a waterfall to cap it off.

After reading through the compiled scouting reports surrounding the Earth after all the incidents connected to the planet, Cooler had expected a blanket of smog covering the sky, and a surface of desolation and ruin with a few pathetic creatures struggling to survive against the android menace. It led the Arcosian Emperor to wonder if the androids had been dealt with, though that was a rather low possibility.

Other if's played out in Cooler's mind, maybe the androids I question after bringing the world to the brink of destruction, took charge and rebuilt the world under their rule. It was a possibility that Cooler had pondered before, for the sake of entertain the consequence he would face if these monstrosities had managed to make their way off the planet. He hadn't allowed his new position on the throne to take away from his training for such a possibility.

Androids, strong enough to take down the legendary super Saiyan, Son Goku; a lower-class ape that was able to bring such distain and shame upon the Cold family name. Despite his own pride and confidence that he was to be the strongest being in the universe, Cooler had been forced to accept their might. And the challenge they presented made his pride burn for their heads.

Even standing here right now the Arcosian could feel the temptation to take off in search of whatever remained of those tin cans and rip them asunder, to embrace the closest achievement he'd have to taking down a Super Saiyan. _That would be irrational of me…_ He spat towards himself. _It is the Super Saiyan that dragged my family name through the mud, I would gain nothing from chasing down scrap metal._

He continued to muse to himself as he looked over the scenery again, the stability of his reign would be heavily affected by the outcome of this mission, putting that jeopardy for the androids would bring him nothing. Only the head of the Super Saiyan would bring him peace. And that filth was dead. It was then that he noticed it.

When his gaze examined the view before him, there was a feeling that grew in the pit of his stomach, like something was wrong, something was off. Maybe it was something to do with the unfamiliar planet itself, the gravity was rather different and the terrain more natural than Cooler was used to, but the feeling only became stronger the harder Cooler looked.

It started out like witnessing something from the corner of your eye, at first you only notice on a subconscious level, but slowly you start to notice it more and more until it starts to grate on your nerves. You think harder, strain your sense, purposely look for that unnoticeable detail. And then, at the height of your frustration, there's a ripple.

As Cooler quickly found, not in the metaphorical sense. No gazing upon water or any other sort of liquid, the Arcosian witness for a split second a ripple in what seemed to be an ordinary rock. A distortion.

Surely, just a trick of his sight from the heat of the morning sun, right?

It was then that Salza decided to chirp in and divert Cooler's attention "Lord Cooler, have v'e displeased you? Zu are 'ooking rather annoyed" The young captain had been standing in a quite awkward silence with the rest of his comrade for over a few minutes now.

"He always looks annoyed…" Nez quipped quickly and quietly, hoping to avoid Cooler's ears, though receiving a quick foot to the shins from Salza for his comment.

Dore scratched the back of his neck as he mused "I dunno, I always thought he just looked more disinterested than disappointed"

Their Lord craned his neck to fix them with a look informing them that he could hear them quite well. For soldiers, the three were never that good at controlling their volume. "Disappointed implies I had expectations in the first place" Before returning his eyes to relocate that strange distortion. "You have your orders, search the immediate area for what remains of my family's burial site and if you can… Try to gather information about the current state of the planet, I wish to know if we have any chances of running into too much trouble"

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking, Sir…" Dore coughed out with a bit of hesitation, Cooler not showing any visual reaction.

"Go on, Dore."

The green skinned wrestler continued with more confidence, gesturing to Neiz. "Won't these earthlings be a bit alarmed if they spot aliens walking amongst them? And I don't know about you, but I don't think there's a hat in the universe that could cover Neiz's bug-eyed conker" The amphibian very obviously took offence to this, his gaze snapping to glare at Dore as the man approached Neiz and rasped his knuckles against the creature's forehead.

"Not to v'orry, Dore" Salza answered with his arm stuck outwards to emphasize his point, gesturing to the general area. "Old reports confirm that this planet v'as home to many strange creatures, Neiz could easily pass for one of them, as can v'e. Though, Lord Cooler might be more recognisable as an alien" He paused to look at Cooler, making sure his words in no way offended his leader, to which Cooler held an expression of boredom.

"Besides, v'ile v'e may be getting information, v'e still will keep a low profile. As long as v'e don't have a repeat of Zelta 16-" Salza took it upon himself to narrow his eyes upon Neiz, who grinned sheepishly back at the reminder of a rather embarrassing mission years back. Teaching them all a lesson on why not to imply that a deadly warlord prefers to spend nights in the company of corpses right to said warlord's face. "-we z'ould attract little attention from any possible threats"

"I thought we promised never to speak of that again, especially in front of Lord Cooler!" Neiz whined to Dore's amusement, the amphibian's hand reaching up to regretfully rub his neck. "I had my head stuck inside my chest for weeks after that…."

"It wasn't that bad, Pretty Boy got a nice black eye after that" Dore chuckled, Salza's face remaining sour at the memory.

"You're just jealous because I can make that look good"

Cooler's cold tone sliced right through their conversation, venom flickering in his tongue. "If you're going to derail your efforts to bicker about your screw ups, try to do it when I'm not in strangling range. You have your orders, follow them, preferably before I start seeking your replacements"

"Yes, sir!" The Armord Squadron gave their strange and stylish salutes in a rush, fearful of angering their leader any further, before rushing off into the distance towards the wasteland side, emitting an aura of confidence. For one bitter moment, Cooler had to admit to himself that he had missed his Armored Squadron and… Was glad to have them back. _I feel sick…_

The distortion Cooler had spotted had yet to appear again, much to his displeasure, making him wonder if he actually had witnessed it in the first place. His gut told him that he had seen something, and that he could feel something. He shook his head, his thoughts growing ever the foggier, it was clear that this mission was going to be anything but mundane at the very least.

"Well, I can at least guide my search in the general direction of… Whatever it was. Maybe I'll find something of value" With that middle ground for both his mind and gut to agree on, the Arcosian took off towards the treeline, preferring to walk rather then burst into flight. But in his concentration of figuring out his next step, Cooler had failed to notice another feeling, one that would of told him that he was being watched.

From a small distance away, behind the cover of a rather thick bush sat an incredibly worried looking Chorona, who's pink skin really did not blend in with the environment. Her words to her Master were only her thoughts, yet she still decided to whisper them to herself. "He's not supposed to be here!"

 _Chorona, what is it? Who do you see?_

"Frieza's brother, the one that looks less feminine"

 _Oh dear, he's not supposed to be here…_

The scroll had taken her safely into the timeline, taking her to a location closest to whatever was causing it to act so strangely. She was completely flabbergasted to have almost walked right in front of Cooler and his men while they were arguing, making her extremely lucky that no one instantly spotted the bright pink contrast to the green background.

Really, now that she thought about it, she stuck out like a small thumb.

 _He's supposed to stay with his Empire on the other side of the universe up to his death, he never even arrives at the same galaxy as Earth at any point in this timeline. That's a large change. Hmm… We could gleam more insight if we find out exactly what brought him to Earth._

"What? You want me to talk with the tyrant!? He'll kill me!"

 _No, no. Just… Follow him for now. Until we uncover more, he's intertwined in this whole mess, he could even be connected directly to the problem itself in a way. I wouldn't put it past an Arcosian to grow ambitious enough to mess with time._

Chorona nodded to herself, pulling a bundle of leaves and sticks from the bush in question (If she wasn't so distracted by her master and Cooler, she'd of been distracted for a good few minutes just observing the leaves move) and holding them infront of her, this would be her grand camouflage. "He's using a scouter, so he can't sense energy" She mentally noted, before pulling herself onto the tips of her toes, ready to put on her best attempt at stealth.

All involved could easily tell that this would be an interesting experience to witness at the very least.


	10. Don't be such a mom!

**Sorry that this one is so short, there was supposed to be another scene, but I wanted to get this done and posted because I have a stressful and busy week ahead of me. Hopefully, this won't delay the next chapter, but just in case.**

* * *

It had been a calm week for Videl, despite each day being almost the exact same routine, the exact same sights, the exact same weather (On that note, she was a tad worried that there was something wrong with the weather). Maybe it was simply a matter of her every approaching age that would give her the mantle of 'Old Woman', but all the days were beginning to blur together.

She still made an effort to keep active of course, just because he restriction of the species she was born as stoped her from ever becoming anything close to the level of any fighter that mattere at this point, doesn't mean she'd let herself grow old. She promised her late father on his death bed that she'd die before she lost the ability ram the end of a rifle into an attacker's face before they could pull the trigger, all with just her foot.

Plus, she had to keep in shape for the one difference in her life over the past week. Pan. That little girl with the fighting spirit of her grandpa and the kind-hearted nature of her father. Which made a deadly combination of the most tiring person in existence. Videl always had to keep up with Son Pan, who shared her distinct distaste for being left in the dust. So, of course Videl gave her the basics to follow in her family legacy, which only allowed Pan to rocket far ahead of Videl in no time. Kind of insulting, now that Videl thought about it.

And for now, she spent her time out of the house, with company, who she doesn't hospitalise and some one of the opposite gender at that. That was progress in Videl's book. Though after Pan first returned from her new training sessions, Videl wondered if Trunks would accidentally hospitalise Pan.

The first time was a bit of a shock. Videl was stuck in the living room, alone in the rather dim lighting, intently focusing on a cross word puzzle she'd found on the ground the other day. It frustrated her. How was she supposed to find the bloody word when every 's' looks like a 'z' and every 'j' looks like an 'I'!? It was simply impossible.

That's when she heard a sudden rumble from outside the house, of course by now she'd grown accustomed to Pan's entrances. She'd never nail her 'stylish' landing. As well as any landing that didn't result in marking the ground with her butt was simply a rare occurrence. On cue, she heard Pan open the door, groaning at the pain in her backside.

"How was training, honey?" Videl's greeting was low and dismissive, refusing to take her eyes off the paper that challenged her wits to the best of their abilities.

"I- Ow!... Think it went well" She could hear Pan shuffling through to the kitchen, looking for something inside the fridge. "I climbed a mountain"

Videl glared at the cross-word puzzle, all those 'Z's were laughing at her. She knew it. "Climbed? Did you forget that you learned how to fly at five?"

"No, Mom… Well, not then! I might have forgotten for a bit when I… Hit my head on t-… Nevermind." Pan pushed her way back into the living room, and as Videl finally craned her neck to look at her daughter, an ice pack was being pressed against a glowing bruise on her hip. "Trunks kind of scratched that option out for me"

For a moment, her motherly instincts kicked in and a worried gasp was dragged from her throat at the sight of Pan. Her little girl was covered in cuts and bruises, dirt staining her top, blades of grass stuck in the messy dark folds of her hair. At least her shorts looked okay. "Oh my- Pan! What happened to you!?" _Was Pan's landing THAT bad?_

Pan tilted her head at the alerted gaze of her mother, simply responding with a shrug and a grin. "Training. Duh" At the immediate glare that followed from Videl, Pan backed away a few paces and awkwardly threw her arms behind her back. "What's wrong, Mom? Oh, I get it. You think these scars mean I did bad, right?"

If Videl wasn't in the middle of worriedly fawning over her daughter, she'd have felt the need to ram the palm of her hand into her forehead. Immediately, the woman jumped to her feet, stomping towards Pan and dragging her back over to the kitchen. Not responding, simply allowing Pan to groan at the dragging.

It was then that Videl was able to notice how heavy Pan seemed to have become now despite the fact that Pan wasn't resisting in the slightest. It was as if Pan was dragging a ton of heavy weights along with her. Maybe all those late night binges are finally catching up with the girl. "I mean, yeah. Gotta admit, at first it looked impossible. I mean, me. A mountain. And a merciless rainbow Saiyan"

Videl found herself rolling her eyes at Pan's strange description of Trunks, the girl had resulted in using that nick name for him after swearing that she kept seeing his hair change from purple to blue. Never the less, Videl had dragged the small woman into the kitchen as sat her down beside the tap, where Pan only sat with a pout on her lips, wondering why her mother was overreacting over this. It was only a scratch! It won't hurt the 'Satan' name.

Quickly, the older woman had rummaged through draws to recover a cloth, along with some healing herbs she'd crushed into a purple powder. First, she ran the cloth under the tap, pulling out Pan's arm and dabbing the edge of the cloth against her wounds. Of course, this instantly set off a chorus of groans and whining from Pan. It stung, to say the least.

"Moooom! I just wanna go to bed…" Pan moaned, letting out a small gasp of pain with each dab. You could hit her with a truck, detonate a bomb on top of her, but this was just too much.

"You'll go to bed when I' finished with you, and I'll be finished with you when I'm done"

"And you'll be don-"

"When I say I'm done!" Videl gave Pan a glare with more weight than Frieza's power level, shutting Pan up, for a short while at east. Allowing Videl to pull over the small container with the power and sprinkling it over Pan's wounds, earning a few more howls of pain from the girl as she rubbed it in.

"I did good in the end! Trunks looked happy, he even said he was impressed. With me!" She pleaded with the woman kneeling beside her. "And it was all triumphant and stuff. I even heard music in my head, drums and trumpets and… Stringy things"

Videl rolled her eyes at the girl, sighing. "If you're not going to shut up, at least tell me how it went. In detail"

And so, Son Pan did. Her face growing ever brighter as went on and on about all the session, detailing Trunks sending her to the bottom of the mountain. How she attacked him a few times, but ultimate failed with not a drop of sweat on Trunks's side. It was a sight that made a Mother proud, watching the little girl's grin grow to inhuman proportions as she explained, revelling in experience of her improvement.

It reminded Videl that for most of the girl's childhood, she had no one who was 'on her level' when it came to her natural power and battle prowess. It was a struggle to teach the girl self-control and she quickly found that training with Videl was a danger to her mother. So, having a person who matched her blow for blow and even went beyond must have been a tremendous experience for the girl.

"One time, I thought I had it. He touched me up, and it obviously made Trunks vulnerable, he went stiff! So, I got an idea-"

Videl stopped her right there, wondering if she heard right. "…What?"

"I got an idea"

"Before that."

"During all the intense fighting, Trunks grabbed-"

"He what!?"

"Don't worry, Mom" Pan leaned forward, a mischevious glint in her eye as she tapped the side of her nose. "I got him back for it"

It was then that Videl asked herself if she or Gohan had remembered to go over the 'Birds and the Bees' with Pan. "... Do I want to know?"

"In the end I grabbed him by th-"

"Nope." Videl stopped, stood up, backed away and covered her ears. She did not want to hear this. Even if Pan meant something completely different. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

The little girl looked down at her now mostly cleaned skin, the bruises disappearing, leaving only scars on her flesh. And for a moment, she caught herself in thought, what was Mom talking about? "Yes?" With Pan, it was hard to tell whether she truly didn't get it, or was only feigning ignorance.

"Just… Continue"

And nothing made Videl prouder than Pan proudly grinning as she let loose her struggle up the mountain, the grin itself showing that even through all the muck and bruises, Pan was proud what she'd done. She felt accomplished. Even Videl was surprised that Pan had actually managed to come up with a bit of creative thinking in catching Trunks off guard.

"And that's how I totally kicked Trunks's ass… With maybe a few exaggerations, but no one cares about those" Pan concluded, slamming her hands together as an ending clap, waiting for Videl to react. "So… You still mad at me, Mom?"

Videl shook her head. "No, not at all. I just didn't think Trunks would be that harsh of a teacher at first, seeing you come home like this is… Shocking. TO say the least" She smiled back at Pan, getting to her feet to pull the girl into a hug. "I was worried. Mothers do that" Videl looked down at the girl, watching Gohan's eyes stare back at her.

"I miss Dad too" Pan muttered, trying to cheer Videl up. For some reason, Videl had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't the first-time Pan had said that today.

"AH, look at me. You're reaching your twenties and here I am still treating you like a little girl that scraped her knee. Sorry" The woman felt herself chuckle as they separated, patting Pan on the back and sending the girl off to bed. Leaving her to watch Pan drag herself away, noting the weights Pan had mentioned earlier, how the girl held a determined smirk as she struggled against them, even in her exhausted state. She'd get used to them if they killed her.

And that grin on her face, that bounce in her step, that spark Videl could see in her eyes. Videl would have to remind herself to thank Trunks the next time she was over at the Brief's.


	11. Don't be such a mom! - The other half

Bulma's life had never been a quiet one, from birth she was screaming, from her childhood she'd been building, from her teen years she'd be thrust into a deadly walk across the globe, and in adult hood she brought all of that with her. Took it all in stride.

Even with the terror of the metal menace dealt with by her son (And she'd make sure people knew it was HER son), the volume of her spirit only increased. In the day, she was ordering around every available hand to put the world back together, before isolating herself to her lab to work through the night on whatever project took her fancy.

If Bulma had learned anything through her years with Goku, it was that there was always another greedy bully out there, ready to kick over your sandcastle. Late into the night, and she still worked to improve the Earth's technology. When the next monster came to reign death over the planet, she didn't want her little boy to be alone as Earth's sole defence.

Taking another sip of her coffee mug, Bulma picked herself up from her chair as she finished off the last few lines of code sprawling across the computer screen like a running river of text. She stopped herself for a moment, letting her gaze drop to the mug, before sighing and putting it back down. The liquid inside had gone cold. "One of these days I should stop making coffee if I'm just going to ignore it for a few hours…"

She leaned back to look over the code again, the bright green glow of the text of a black background caused a blurry merging effect between the words, causing a repeated rub of her temples over her tired eyes. "Test #276" She muttered under her breath, reaching down to collect a very thick, leather bound journal.

Flipping it open (And retrieving the pencil from behind her ear), she was greeted by an overflowing stack of various notes stuck to multiple pages of the journal, most threatening to fall out as she looked for the next blank page. Each turn of a page was a trip down memory lane.

She passed her original blueprints for the time machine, her attempted recreation of Saiyan armour, a few designs for robot helpers (As she progressed the designs became smaller and more compact), designs for space ship components, a new gravity room and a few notes on the improvements she could make for the time machine.

Finally, she arrived at the section of her notes surrounding her latest project, going to the next blank space and wrote down the next test number and turned to her operating table with the journal in hand, much like a clip board.

In the centre of the room was where the few lights within the lab were casted, leaving a sea of shadows to surrounding what she would hope would be a success. Practically, this served in purpose, but Bulma preferred to have at least a small dramatic flair in her work. Besides, the lighting made her project look and feel more important and exciting.

The table in question had various mechanical arms hanging over the prone metallic body of Android 16, who had remained silent throughout all of Bulma's work. Instead, the android reserved to keep his gaze up to the mechanical arms, as he really had no desire to look down and observe his chest plate, which at the moment had been pulled completely open through the work of a laser saw.

At her quick approach, 16 moved his head to shoot her the best concerned look he could muster with his metallic face, taking in her frazzled and tired state. "I believe your work is beginning to ware on you, Miss Brie-"

"Bulma." For a moment, Bulma snickered a tad, as all the wires connected to the various parts of 16's body made his expression rather amusing.

"-Bulma. It would be wise for you to turn in for the night, and rest your body and mind" The android advised, to which Bulma simply waved off with a roll of her eyes, not slowing her approach.

"There's no rest for the wicked and extremely intelligent, Sixteen" She managed to get out a weak chuckle as she reached the table, half her face encased in shadow due to the lighting, giving her a much more 'sinister scientist' vibe. "I married the Prince of all genocidal maniacs, and I am in fact a genius. So, I'm not touching one fluffed pillow until I get this right"

Bulma reached up to grab a hold of one of the mechanical arms, pushing a long pincer-like tool into view, hovering above 16's chest plate. "The new program I downloaded into your AIU chip should make the parts much more compatible" She moved the tool to within the opening, grabbing onto one of 16's various components and undoing the screws, before pulling a rather old looking hunk of machinery out and placing it on the table.

"It's not that I doubt your scientific prowess, mi- Bulma. But I don't think this project will ever get off the ground" He laid his head back on the table, with no reaction to Bulma poking around inside his body. "Dr. Gero built me as an early model of a fully mechanical being. Androids 17 and 18's designs differ widely from my own, and their parts were always mostly organic. I doubt it's possible for their parts to function with my own, it's just not how they function"

Yet again, Bulma's hand rose to wave away 16's argument. "You never tell a Breifs that something isn't possible. Their parts aren't compatible? Then I make them compatible" Bulma Breifs was the same person who built a functioning time machine in the backdrop of the apocalypse, upgrading 16 wouldn't be a problem… Even if she was on the 276th attempt.

"You said that the last 275 attempts" 16 stated bluntly in response, Bulma merely scoffing at him yet again before she moved to retrieve a sleeker device. It acted like a cage, imprisoning a few samples of organic tissue that even long past their owner's death, still moved of their own volition as if they were a part of a functioning body.

She moved this new addition via her tools, placing it to replace the recently removed component in 16's chest plate, manuvering through a jungle of wire trees before screwing it into place. With that done, she pushed the chest plate shut and started to jot down notes on the blank page, noting the specification of the component.

The scientist moved around the table to the other side (Accidentally kicking a few old wrenches and screwdrivers out of the way), making sure the above wires were steady and stayed attached to 16, as they were used to send data to and from her computer. As she made her way back over to her computer, passing by a large display of Gero's old blueprints for each individual android on the wall, she turned back a few pages in her journal and copied 16's starting condition to the new page.

"Bulma Briefs, Project Lazarus, Test Number: 276. Starting conditions: Optimal. Component Error Check:-" She pulled up a diagram of all the components that went into making the android function, the computer scanning through each of the devices to make sure all were functioning correctly. Soon, Bulma was met with a greed glow. "-No errors. Components Functional. Initiating Test Run… Record all data on new component's compatibility…" A few more taps on the keyboard, the diagram adding the new device, zooming in on it and listing it's specification beside it. "Initiate Test Run."

A small progress bar appeared on the screen, slowly filling up as 'Running…' flashed above it. As it progressed, small text appeared under the bar, spelling out the process. First, it attempted to send signals to the new addition, hoping the device would be able to communicate effectively with the rest of 16's parts. Thankfully, that part of the process seemed clear for the most part, though there was no mention of whether the organic part could communicate.

The anticipation was starting to build up inside the scientist, forcing her to calm her breathing and her hope, this had failed many times before. Still, the woman closed her eyes and opened them every few seconds, as if she thought that looking would encourage fate to make this yet another pitfall.

Next, a few simple commands were sent to the device, using the artificial nerves she installed beside the device, hoping to trick the organic tissue. Instantly, an error appeared on the screen, informing Bulma that the organic tissue didn't respond well to the commands, and that further attempts could end up harming the device.

Still, she pressed on. Reaching for a loose cigarette within the folds of her pocket, a favoured brand of her father's that she'd picked up over the years. There was no hesitation in pulling the small roll of tobacco up to her lips and lighting it up.

It felt hot for her, when she drew the smoke into her lungs and there's that strange sensation of breathing and holding her breath at the same time. It was as if she'd been holding breath already for a bit, perhaps: the tightness in her lungs, the sense of useless air trying to get out. SO when she finally exhaled, that cloud took it all, her frustrations dragged out from her lungs by noxious chemicals.

It felt like when Vegeta and her would yell at each other.

Quickly, she shook that thought from her head and glued her eyes back to the screen. She'd been down that road of thought before, ever since Trunks returned from the other timeline and told her about how Vegeta seemed to change ever so slightly. She didn't want to wonder what could have been.

"Arg!" The loud exclamation of pain came from 16 and shook Bulma's gaze from the computer, turning to the android Bulma was greeted by the sight of sparks littering his chest like clingy tendrils, tempting to rip into his metal skin. The android's face managed to turn to a look of discomfort. "Bulma, I think it's the component you added. It's damaging my systems"

At the same time Bulma's ears were greeted by the small beeps of 'Warning' from the computer as the screen flashed red, only now deciding to tell her of the error. Without a second of thought she whipped back to the computer and immediately stopped the test. Bulma refused to take this experiment in any direction that harmed her friend.

Her voiced blared out in concerned alarm before she even started moving "Sixteen!" She made her way over to the table, and immediately got to work on replacing the organic device with the old component. "I didn't screw up too bad, did I?"

The android managed to get out a pained, but amused, nod at the comment. "I'm fine, miss Bulma. It was only a small malfunction" In the span of a minute, the chest plate was opened, new device taken out, old device put back in. "I went over the risks when I agreed to be your project"

"Doesn't mean I can't worry" Bulma sighed, pressing a few buttons on the table to do a diagnostic of 16, making sure he didn't receive any critical damage. "With Trunks out of the house so much, I need someone to push my mothering instincts on"

"I'm sure he is fine"

For a moment, Bulma stopped to blink in confusion at 16 "I wasn't sa- Why would I have reason to worry?" In response the android opened his mouth to reply, before leaving it hanging there for a few seconds, an expression of what she could assume was 'I should not of said that'. So Bulma instantly put on her scolding tone, complete with her hands on her hips. "Sixteen."

"I know nothing. I said nothing. And Trunks has nothing to worry about"

"I know when you're lying" As Bulma stated this fact, 16's hand went up to cover his left eye "You're left eye twitches" Before going down to- "You scratch your nose and-" The scientist simply pointed down at the android's legs, where 16 found that his right leg was having a joyous time jiggling up and down. "That."

With a frown, 16 gave in "He told me not to tell anyone"

"That's all I need, now I can drag the answers out of him" Bulma pulled the individual wires out of 16 and looked back to the diagnostic, it was still in the green, so 16 should have been okay. Now, she had to put her interrogation skills to the test.

* * *

By the time Trunks had reached the front garden of Capsule Corporation, the sky had turned up some fierce rain, water showering down on him like liquid bullets that dissipated as soon as they hit his skin. At first, Trunks didn't mind the rain that much. In fact, after Pan made the training session much more rigorous than he thought it would be, the cold water gave him a nice tingling sensation. Melting the swelling aches in his arms and legs.

However, after the burning after effects of training had been drained away by the water, the rain soon took a turn for the irritating. Now the rain had turned from comforting resistance, to ice cold daggers pelting his muscles, cutting away at his nerves.

As a numbing effect started to grow in various chunks of his flesh, he decided that he really needed a coat one of these days. A long one. Maybe a trench coat? And a sweater, definitely a sweater. The image reminded him of what he was told soldiers used to wear, and his mom had referred to him as her 'little soldier' often. "Put that on my to do list" He muttered to himself just as he landed on the crisp green lawn.

He was surprised to see the inside's bright lights pouring out through the front window, usually 16 and Bulma would be stuck in the lab for the entire night. Judging by the fact he could sense the energy inside the house, Trunks could tell it was his mother, and considering her sleeping schedule; this did not bode well for him.

Still, he wanted to get out of the cold downfall sooner rather than ponder what his mother wanted, so he pushed on and entered through the front door. The warmth of the air conditioning hit him like a ton of bricks, glorious heat wrapping around his frame like a passionate embrace. "Hey, Mom. I'm back!"

Trunks closed the door and proceeded to the next room, remnants of the rain trailing behind him with each step like a snail. He found his mother slumped on a couch staring outside of the large window, admiring the rain painting her window, giving off a blurry filter of the outside. "You better not be dragging all that rainwater into my house…" She warned.

To which Trunks merely replied with a sheepish smile, gazing down at the wet foot prints staining the carpet. Bulma sighed and took another drag of her cigarette, turning to face her son and gawk at his horrid state. "You're gonna catch a cold" She frowned.

"I've survived worst, Mom" She gave Trunks a look that told him he wasn't sitting down until he was dry, before giving off a more thoughtful look. "You're up late"

"Science has no bed time" Bulma exclaimed, raising her smoking cigarette into the air is some sort of 'cheers' motion.

Trunks moved to leaned against the wall with a small smile "I think you and science need to take a break" Their conversation stopped for a moment as a rather guilty looking Android 16 shuffled through the house in an awkward fashion, Bulma had a knowing look, which just left Trunks confused. "I think all these late night project are starting to get to you, Mom"

"Count yourself lucky, without all these projects keeping me busy, I'd be asking the hard hitting questions" Bulma pulled out a smirk, wagging her finger at Trunks. "You know, Mom questions. Like, why haven't I got Grandkids yet?"

"Absolutely devastating" Trunks joked, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Besides, Pan is literally the only other woman in my life, so I don't think you'll ever get those Grandkids" Honestly, Trunks would know more woman if he actually went out and activley persued a potential girlfriend. He certainly wouldn't have trouble finding a wiling partner, he was the titular 'Hero' of the planet after all.

"What's wrong with Pan?"

"Do you honestly want to imagine her rasing children? Between you and her, I'd be the child's only good influence" Trunks prepared to smile again int he event of his mother getting angry at the remark, but was thankful that she only seemed surprised at his answer. "Something wrong, Mom?" Before her smile fell to a dissappointed frown pout.

"Nothing, just a failed teasing attempt" She'd expected to get him blushing with the suggestion of him hooking up with Gohan's daughter. "It's jus- Wait, what do you mean? ARE YOU CALLING ME A BAD INFLUENCE!?" She twirled her cigarette between her finger, giving off the effect of the smoke rising above her head. "You turned out fine, Trunks!"

"I was joking, Mother!" He held his arms up in defence against his mother's glare, quickly switching the subject to avoid any more skin burning stares. "Uh- Speaking of Pan, we had our first training session today" Bulma looked like she was about to burst, but nstead sighed out all her anger with a puff of smoke, dropping tiredly back onto the couch. Prompting Trunks to move towards the kitchen, raising his voice to talk. "She's doing amazing. You should of seen her, she had me sweating in the first exercise, and that was only the beginning"

Bulma leaned forwar, peering into the hallway, she could only see Trunks's back as he went through the cuboards. "So, she was like you when you trained under Gohan?"

Trunks waved her off "No, no, no. The opposite, really" Looking back, when Trunks had first trained with Gohan, he had been terrorfied. The boy was recked with nerves at the prspect of the training, determined, sure; but Gohan had always been intimidating back then. Coupled with even more daunting tasks. His mentor had never held back against Trunks, no mercy on the kid, because times were tough. It was only around half way through that Trunks managed to succeed in his training, and yet here Pan was exceeding his expectations on the first try. "She was persistent. She rushed me, didn't work. So, she tried to sneak up on me, didn't work. So then she scaled an entire mountain!"

He returned to the room with a mug of freshly made coffee in his hand, holding it out for his mother. Who smiled up to him, teasingly. "She's really caught your eye, huh?" He moved back to the wall after handing her the steaming mug, merely rolling his eyes at his mother's implication. "Those hours spent alone together must be bliss" And she followed that up with a wink.

"It's not like that, Mom" He responded bluntly.

"Oh? And what exactly is it like?" She wiggled her eye brows, she didn't care if she sounded like an annoying school girl, she was starting to push sity; she wanted to enjoy herself. "You don't look at her that way?"

He pondered for a moment, before shaking ahead "No, it's not that"

"Worried that she'd reject you?"

His curt and quick response, coupled with his expression, gave BUlma the impression that Trunks had probably asked himself these questions. "No."

"Then what's wrong?" Bulma was taken aback slightly with the few hints of seriousness that reach Trunks's expression, dropping her own smirk. She expected embaressment, or annoyance even, but he seemed worried. What was he hiding? "Is this to do with what you and 16 were keeping to yourselves?"

"Wha-..." Trunks inwardly groaned as it set in why a certain android looked so guilty. "So, he told you, huh?"

"You can't really tell 16 to lie to me, Trunks. He's just too kind hearted"

Flashes of his father came out through his voice as the boy growled back "I didn't tell him to lie, I told him to just avoid the subject!" Before he flopped down into the couch, Bulma now not caring that he was still wet. "I didn't want to worry anyone..." Seeing this was going to be a long night, Bulma started downing the mug.

"Worry anyone about what?" She placed her coffee on the floor, turning to comfort her son. _He's doing drugs, isn't he!?_ "Trunks, I'm your mother. I'm always here for you, no matter what"

He was able to treasure a small smile at the support, but that stopped as he bit down on his lip. He didn't want to worry her, but it seems like she was already worried. "It's just me… Being paranoid. That's all"

"Trunks…"

"I told Sixteen that… I might of…" His eyes found comfort in the floor again, his hands and shoulder began to shake. Slowly, but noticeable. The images flashed in his mind again. Gohan was there, right below his feet, just blankly staring up at him. "I think I saw an Android"

Silence leaked into the space between them as Bulma took the words in, but after a few moments, her only thoughts were wrap her arms around her son and pull him close. "Oh, my poor baby" Unlike Trunks, the thought of the Androids hadn't struck a chord with her. She had more easily moved on from those past tragedies than her son.

"M-mom!" He protested at the sudden contact, but his mother didn't relent. Already, she was cursing herself for never considering the effect those monsters could have had on Trunks mentally. Maybe it was a Saiyan trait, but he never really talked about how he felt, he seemed to prefer to not think about it. Either way, it was obvious to her that he was under a heavy toll.

"It's okay, Trunks" She assured him. Unfortunately, the hug wasn't comforting to Trunks, instead of making him feel loved he felt as if his lungs were being squeezed. A hand snaking around his throat. A dead end. He was trapped, cornered. It was too much…

He finally decided to push the worried woman off him lightly, his voice shaky. "Mother! I'm not-… Ten anymore. Please, don't do that again" He grimaced at the desperation in his tone, why did he feel so vulnerable? He didn't remember feeling this way when he actually faced the androids. _Am I sweating again?_

Instead of pushing for another hug, Bulma reached to take her son's hand and give it a supportive squeeze. He told her "16's going to see if it's possible we missed an extra Android…"

"I'm helping him then." It wasn't a suggestion, it was a hope, nor a question. It was a Mother setting the rules. "With my brilliant mind we'll know for sure in a week"

"Mo-"

"And if there is another Android on the street, then he better go back to whatever junkyard he was assembled in. Or I'm gonna tear him a new one!" Bulma stood up on the seat with an encouraging smile, striking a pose and rolling back her sleeves as if preparing for a punch out. "No one messes with my son!" At her support, his hands seemed to stop shaking, as well as him looking less panicked. Now, was probably the best moment to move the subject matter, get her boy to laugh. "You've yet to tell me about you and Pan" She playfully elbowed him in the ribs.

The boy responded with a weak smile and turned his mind to Pan. The thought helped him ignore the creeping sensation of a noose tightening around his neck, he wouldn't lie to himself, Pan was certainly taking up a large portion of his thoughts. He never failed to smile with her around, and in times like this, her smile radiated warmth that kept him comfortable. Plus, it never hurt to have somone who held a simmilar situation to you. As a felow Saiyan and fighter, he felt that she understood him.

And in the back of his mind with the rest of his hormones; despite his best to be polite, he did aknoledge that she made her training gear look good. "I think I do like her...-" He raise a hand t stop his mother from making any teasing comments about him having a crush. "-but I don't know if I want to try to-... Get her attention"

"Nervous about your first crush?"

"No, it's just... Our worlds just come out of a living hell" He explained, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe, maybe I want to wait for this all to heal before I try to build that" He sighed. Trunks went back to smiling at his mother even if he still felt a bit shaken. He reached down and retrieved Bulma's coffee, holding it up to her with a small nod. "Thank you, Mom" He moved away, heading to his room. "I have some stuff to plan out, for Pan's training and all. So, good night" And with that he disappeared from view.

Bulma sighed before she jumped back into a sitting position, managing to not spill any of the coffee. She just wanted her son to be happy, and yet circumstance always put him in tragedies view. She couldn't fight, and she hadn't even begun to fully wrap her head around Gero's scientific discoveries (He was a mad scientist, but still a genius), but she'd be damned if she didn't at least make sure Trunks knew she'd support him. Even if it killed her.

"Trunks's shouldn't be alone in this…" At that thought, her hand dipped into her lab coat pocket, quickly bringing out an old capsule case, with only one capsule inside. It was one she always kept close despite Trunks's dislike of the machine within. Inside, was what had helped save their timeline once before. "And maybe he doesn't have to be" She knew Trunks would shoot down any idea of using the time machine again, not wanting to bring other innocent lives into this, but…

 **Just in case. They had a trump card… Right?**


	12. An Unlikely Duo - Deal with an Emperor

The ground was wet, brown sludge barely made solid as it sunk into the depths of the dark bog that was scattered throughout the scenery. The transition had been seamless, a light gathering of trees that offered a teasing glance up to the blue heavens, now a thick infestation of root and bark that only made way for the black hole that had absorbed all colour in the sky.

A smooth path of dirt contrasting with lush grass by the river bank, now faded to sprawling hills rising above the surface of the muck like a drowning victim frozen in place. The roots being their mangled arms and fingers, which scratched for anything to keep them above their fate. All-in-all, Cooler found himself a tad disappointed with the change in scenery.

He was a man used to putting himself through the mud with little mind to how unbecoming it would be for a man of royal blood, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the more beautiful locations this dust ball of a planet had to offer. Through his journey to find that strange tick in his senses, he only now noticed the constant downpour that had developed from above, infectious worms that wriggled from the sky and broke through even the tiniest of cracks in the thick ceiling of leaves.

But as he moved through the swamp-like area, Cooler acknowledged that he really didn't mind the rain much. It was cold, bitter, overwhelming and showed no mercy to those below it. So, much like his home planet really. Being a part of a family literally named after the lack of heat, it made sense that his cold heart wouldn't take much heed of the rain.

What did bother him was the other noises, the squelching. That bothersome and rather disgusting noise of your foot sinking into that sticky substance on the ground, a piece sticking to the underpart of your foot, before releasing a noise akin to that of an old man keeling over; winded for the last time. And with each step the noise seemed to only grown in volume, bring up images of the mud clambering over his skin, dragging him down like quicksand. And despite the loud thrashing of the rain, he could still hear it.

The biggest problem, though, was that Cooler wasn't walking. He was hovering above the mud. Someone else was squelching. Someone else was following him.

He had a building suspicion a while back when he first heard the noise through the drowning dominance of the rain, but his mind had been so caught up in the displaceable aspect of the sound, he hadn't really thought about who was making it. But as he had this mental realisation, the tempo of the squelching increased for only a moment, as if the person in question had stumbled. Like a reaction to his realisation.

This resulted in him stopping dead in his tracks, which, now that he thought about it, was a foolish decision on his part. Giving his stalker a good signal that he was aware of being followed, taking away the advantage of surprise from Cooler. _I can still salvage this, just stay casual, you're just stopping for a breather…_

Cooler lifted his hand up slowly to brush against his brow, beating off droplets of rain that attempted to drop down and blur his vision. "Terrible weather…" He muttered loudly, calmly. His thoughts racing with possibilities of the purpose of his stalker. Chances were large that it was simply an Earthling who took an interest in the strange alien creature taking a stroll through a swamp, but more and more possibilities came along and drowned that one out.

As a royal, you tend to see all who trail behind you in a remotely sneaky manner as nothing more than a possible knife in the back. In his early days, Cooler had an amusing pass time of trying to spot the few assassins Frieza would send after him. The loser of the game was the one who allowed the assassin to get close enough to touch him. And Cooler had only lost once.

And with his ascendance to the throne itself, Cooler had only learned to trust that sense of paranoia more. He had many instances of attempted assassination attempts in his power struggle to keep the throne. With Frieza and Cold gone, every other politician has gotten confident. Perhaps one had followed him to Earth so they could take him on alone.

So, the Arcosian decided on his plan of action, he would not take the chance of losing the first strike. And so, he let his ki subtly flow through to his index finger, letting out a loud yawn and stretching his arms out. _Sneak attack Death Beams never lose their lustre…_ In one quick motion Cooler stamped his foot into the ground (The mud letting of a pleasant squelch that Cooler cringed at hearing), pivoted on said foot to spin around and face his stalker with his killing hand outstretched.

Without hesitation, he let a beam of pure crimson shoot out of his fingertip at a speed barely visible to the eyes of non-warriors. In the brief moment before the penetrating blow could inflict death upon it's target, Cooler witnessed a small figure easily (Insultingly easy in Cooler's mind) dash out the way of the beam. This movement at least revealed her to Cooler as she leaped out of the cover of bushes and tree bark she'd been hiding behind, and stood fully in front of him. All, what? Five feet of her? Cooler could swear for a second that he'd just fired at a child considering her height.

"I don't like being stalked" His eyes took in the woman's deep pink skin and rather strange blue robe, couple that with her bright hair and regal-esc earring, she had an otherworldly aura about her. She definitely wasn't an earthling. He was starting to doubt her as an assassin. "What are you? A fangirl?" But then again, she was able to easily predict and dodge his attack.

The woman started off with a panicked expression at the realisation that she'd placed herself in full view of the man fully willing to attack her, though she was quick to take offence to Cooler's question, quick to growl back "I'm not some obsessive fangirl, I'm a kai! I'm very important!"

"Uhuh." Cooler kept his gaze locked on the small woman, speaking dryly with a tone that dripped with mockery. "Okay, you're some type of fruit. Are you here to kill me?" Clearly unimpressed, Cooler allowed himself a small dark chuckle at her. "Because I hope you have more than cuteness in your arsenal. Or are you planning to lob fruit at me?"

Chorona was starting to feel two contradicting thoughts racing through her, one was telling her that she shouldn't have told him she was a Kai and that she should try and get out of this peacefully. The more dominant voice boomed that 'she was cute, how dare he mock her for it!' And so, she placed her hands on her hips and glared at the man; Tyrant or not, he should show some common manners! "I'm not here to kill you, but with that attitude I'd consider changing my plans"

With that Cooler's dark hand rose yet again as his ki materialised at the tip of his finger again, just waiting to fire at the woman. "Ah, so I should just kill you now and get it over with?"

At this, Chorona jumped back and pulled her hands up in defence, her mouth hanging open in panic. "Hey, hey, hey! You can't just randomly shoot at people, that's immoral!"

"I don't care, I'm the Emperor of the Universe, you cretin" Cooler shrugged, keeping his threat high. "Why are you following me? Answer the question, Welp"

Chorona was prepared to simply rush out of Cooler's reach again, or even jump in and get the first attack as this man was clearly unreasonable. Like His Brother. But after letting some of her anger drain away, she allowed herself to be reminded of the mission. _Following Cooler has done me no good… Maybe it's time for a new approach._ "I'm investigating" She admitted, her arms now crossed.

She knew she could easily avoid Cooler's attack, and she might have been able to get a good few shots on him, but she also knew it would be easier to learn of Cooler's reasons for coming here if she tried to get on his good side… Or find blackmail material on him. Cooler didn't drop his hand yet, gesturing for her to go on. "Strange things happening on the planet… Thought you'd be a part of it" She wasn't laying, but she wasn't spilling everything. _Reel him in, Chorona, he's just a dim-witted fop…_

"You assume I'd have anything to do with the shenanigans happening on this planet?" At this moment, Chorona wondered if Cooler could form a less condescending tone and expression. "I suppose it'd be only natural to suspect I'd be up to something, after all, this planet is the grave site of my family legacy"

In Cooler's mind, he was straight to theorising that Chorona was either a pawn of one of the powers seeking his throne, or an agent of a rebellious planet that somehow knew about his departure to Earth. In hind-sight, coming to such a pathetic planet after all this time was rather suspicious. No matter what, this woman was strange, and Cooler wouldn't let his guard drop around her. _Perhaps I should just kill her and be done with it_ But there was always that nagging sensation in the back of his mind, something about this woman, a sense of something higher. It was the same feeling he remembered having as a child when he met another noble who he didn't know. An important figure that no matter the clothes, was recognisable as one.

"What's wrong with you!? You can't just kill me!" The pink haired woman jumped in protest, flicking mud in Cooler's general direction, which only soured his mood more. "This is not how you treat a cute girl"

"I'm starting to think you might be insecure about your looks-"And then Ccooler suddenly froze mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing on the woman with suspicion. He didn't state his threat aloud. How did she know to respond to it!? Or was he really that obvious? "What are you?"

"A cute-" Cooler's glare could melt steel. And a mental chime in from the Supreme Kai reminded her that she was TRYING to get on the guy's good side "A curious person. I don't know why you're so kill happy, but- Look, I'm not up to anything mischievous. I' just trying to find out why all this strange stuff is happening"

This peaked Cooler's interest, a possibility came to mind. "Strange? Like something wrong, distorted… Changed?"

"Well, yes. Though I don't really know what it is-"

"I came along this way because I noticed something strange, a distortion that felt unnatural on this planet" Chorona lulled her head to think over his words, her master chiming in.

 _He noticed something strange around the area of what we suspect to be the source that's caused our scrolls to…. Malfunction? Hmmm, this does seem to covenant to be a coincidence. It's possible that there's some sort of time anomaly caused by the changes in this area, which interferes with the scrolls. If only there was a recorded mention of something like this happening before…_

The apprentice nodded to herself, which Cooler noted as strange, before responding. "That could be what I'm looking for. Where did you see it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Cooler tilted his head as if to try and inspect her from a different angle.

She stumbled over her response, trying to think up an excuse. "Because I might be able to stop… Whatever it is from doing… Uh, whatever it does"

With a heaving sigh Cooler's extended finger dropped to his side, signalling to Chorona that he had lost his intent to kill her. He could tell that this woman, whatever she was, knew more about whatever was going on than him. And he hated that. "Are we to make a deal then?"

"A deal?" Chorona tried to mimic Cooler's hard stare in return, puffing out her cheeks.

"We both want to know what's up with this 'occurrence'. As you've arrived looking for this very event, you must have the knowledge to at least asses it. And I have the knowledge on how to inflict severe wounds and harm upon you" As much as Cooler was suspicious of the woman, he had learned by now that it was best to make allies you could keep an eye on, then enemies you let stew in your shadow.

Chorona pursed her lips at this, understanding the underlying threat very clearly _Charming man._ "We work together to satisfy our curiosity. And you don't kill me?"

"Basically."

"So, we're partners?"

"Allies."

"Coincidental Affiliations."

"Perfect" His hand came back up again, but this time without an extended threat, but an open hand which had to curve lower to reach the other Kai's height. "I am an Arcosian of my word, going back on one would only invite shame on my name. And my family has already done quite the job on that front"

Hesitantly, Chorona lifts up her own hand and reaches up for Coolers, his firm grip threatening to bruise her skin. As if sealing their deal in iron chains. _I'm gonna regret this…_ "All right… Oh, and my name is Chorona"

"I'm going to call you Squirt from now on" The Emperor stated bluntly with a tinge of amusement, before turning right back around and continuing in the direction from before. Leaving a twitching, seething, pink apprentice to run after him.

"Jerk!"


	13. The Tyrant, the Apprentice and the Swamp

Cooler assumed that they were getting close to their curiosity, for as they continued through the sludge laden path changes started to make themselves apparent to the Arcosian. First off was the reason his feet now begrudgingly took their paces on the muddy ground, Cooler couldn't come up with any other reason for why. In an almost unnoticeable process the gravity in this particular area seemed to have increased, and before long had pulled him out of his hovering without him even noticing, and a few seconds later he found that this made it extremely difficult to fly up.

The fact that his ability to fly had practically been taken away did nothing to alleviate the young Emperor's nerves, for him flying was a necessary factor in his life, a privilege he'd never live without. To lose it, even for a brief period, and even if it was only limited, it felt like chains sprouting up from the ground and wrapping around his neck. Pulling him down as a slave to nature.

"Geez, you are such a drama queen. I know flight's awesome and all, but surely you can last just a little while" And the small pink anomaly's constant comments didn't make it any easier. "Hey, this is an adventure! This just makes it more interesting" She was a strange one, she never went five minutes without causing Cooler to second guess himself. Had he spoken aloud? Or was he really that obvious?

After their initial agreement, the two devolved into locking their metaphorical horns in a battle of condescension; starting off with him abusing his new nick name for the girl, as well as him firing off the various ways he could say 'You are short, feel bad' at her. Her own comebacks always rounded back to comparing him to a lizard of some kind. But soon her short fuse had dissolved into a bubbly mixture that was really starting to weird Cooler out, and he'd met the Ginyu Force.

Where as any normal person would have a problem with the sludge he was supposed to call water in this area, no matter the tolerance, all could agree it was absolutely disgusting. Yet the pink one seemed to find it absolutely fascinating, reaching out to put her fingers only inches from the muck, a bright grin stretching her skin as she felt the liquid tickle the tips of her fingers. "It's really moving, like… Like it's alive"

Cooler chalked it up to her species, maybe they were born in a planet of mud, sludge, and any other disgusting substance that would ruin anybody else's day. Like a pig. The Arcosian chuckled to himself at his own private joke. That was it, she was a pig. Pigs were pink, pigs liked mud. Soon she'd be rolling around in her own faeces. Her voice did sound similar to a screeching sequel of a such a filthy animal.

When Cooler had made it clear that he wasn't going to wait for her, Chorona had jogged after him, picking up a long tree branch that had broken off a tree. With this, she could give the 'water' a good few quick pokes without losing any pace, it seemed to make her happy. Though, the Emperor didn't stay quite out of any ideas of politeness, only because her strange pleasantry managed to keep her relatively quiet. Which meant he could focus more on the issues at hand,

And that brought him to the second reason he assumed they were getting closer, along with the gravity shift, he felt a new pull. A strange presence that swept the swamp like a flash flood. One that gave off the feeling of someone poking you, beckoning you over to them with an alluring wiggle of their hand. Something was calling to the two, and that nudge from before that had taken to hiding in the back of his mind had now been dragged to the front to stand prevalent.

"So… What brings you to Earth?" Chorona tried her best to slip that awkward line in casually out of the silence, taking a small joy in hopping from each hill over the water, the rain only seemed to make her even more happy. If she wasn't trying to keep Emperor Frosty out of his 'Kill! Kill! Kill!' phase, she wouldn't have resisted splashing in the mud and risking splashing the substance on the royal's feet. He was already having enough trouble listening to the 'squelch' with each step.

He didn't even look at her as he responded. "Why do you want to know, Squirt?"

This made Chorona frown as she felt up the harsh and bumpy surface of tree bark, it felt so odd and foreign to her. "I don't know how it is on your planet, but where I come from, it's common curtesy to get to know the people you spend time with"

"Where do you come from?" The Arcosian went to crossing his arms, patiently waiting for the answer. This time his question came with a tone of curiosity, the question had been bugging him for a while.

To her credit, Chorona didn't trip up too badly when the question came. But she did still come into face first contact with another tree, her brain screaming at her to respond. _Ahhh! I didn't plan for him asking me about that, what do I say? If I refuse to answer he'll be even more suspicious…_ "Uh, you know. From off planet… Like, down south"

"You're odd, do you know that?"

She gave a nervous chuckle in response "S-some would say I'm out-of-this universe!" Her head peaked out around the tree to meet Cooler with what was most likely the most forced smile imaginable. Fortunately for her, Cooler had returned to looking away, sighing at her answer.

"You said you were Kai" The blunt statement had Chorona mentally slapping herself, she was starting to find that she this 'subtlety' thing was pretty hard. "I've never heard of such a species. Does it explain why you enjoy filth so much?"

"Filth?" She again had to jog to catch up with the tall figure

"You continue to find so much entertainment from every aspect of depravity here. The mud, the trees, most would usually be disgusted" He turned to face her this time, stopping in his tracks with a judging cross of his arms. "Why?"

Chorona have a hesitant look of confusion at the man, as if HE was the odd one here. "It's a bit gross, but that's what makes it cool. It's weird. Flawed. Interesting!" She clasped her hands together as if she only just found the right words it describe it. "And when you get it on your hand, it moves! That's amazing!"

The Emperor remained unconvinced, stating dryly. "It's mud. All it does is stain your skin and increase how annoying it is to be around you"

"You Tyrants are all so simple" Chorona giggled, kneeling down to reach into the mud again, a clump of dark brown goo now dripping from her fingers. She didn't mind though, in fact she rose back to her feet with a grin and held the clump in front of Cooler's glare, rubbing it between her fingers. "Feel it! It has so many layers and texture to it. It's cold, it's wet, it rough and it makes my skin tingle. And you can paint with it" As an example, the girl moved her fingers to her face and painted three lines of mud on her cheeks, with one going over her nose.

In a flash, she had jumped over to the nearest tree, running her other hand up the bark. "And this tree! How old do you think it is? Look at the cracks- Oh! I think there's an insect in this one! Just feel the bark, it's breathing. It looks gross, but it's beauty lies in it's life. I wonder how many things it's seen… Too bad it can't talk"

"Well, there is a race of sentient tree creatures in the east quadrant…" Cooler mutter in response, too confused over Chorona's strange attachment to such simple things, his voice came out too low. "I can understand a blind, death, lobotomy patient getting excited at their first time harassing a tree. But even for them, the glamour should fade after the first time"

At this, Cooler witnessed the woman frown, as if a depressing weight pulled at her lips at whatever memory he brought up. He wanted to be indifferent, but part of him was interested to try and understand this strange person. There was a certain enjoyment factor to finding the motive for madness.

"Maybe. For anyone else a tree is just a tree. Plants are just plants. And I'm just a tree-hugging hippy-" Cooler nodded in agreement, realising that hippy was the word he was looking for. "-But, where I come from, and from where I'll be… Everything's stale. The grass is perfectly cut, the water is clean and shining, everything is tidy, beautiful and in order…. But that's the problem. There's no direction, there's no turns, no flaws, no motion, no change… There's no life. And there, all I see is a empty picture frame"

"You're clearly capable of space travel" Cooler's tone showed no sympathy for what she was trying to make dramatic (She'd spent an entire century working on her performance skills, and she was going to use them). "If you dislike your home, leave"

"There is no leaving. I have a responsibility, bound by duty… I'm trapped there, with a kind old man who's always busy and an owl who ALWAYS used my head as a perch" She spent a moment shifting to a scowl as she mentioned the bird, before spreading her arms out wide and looking up into the rain. Welcoming the downpour. "So, right now? For the first time, I get to see life, I get to see what I'm missing before I'll never see this again. All this water hitting me? I'll never forget this feeling, the glamour will never disappear, because I'm never gonna be able to repeat it" In all honesty, the thought of such a wonderful memory being drained of all its joy frightened her.

At the end of it all Cooler looked quite bored, though Chorona didn't expect him to purposely see him in any other emotion unless it was to be smug. "Are you done with your mid-life crisis?"

"You asked me." She couldn't bring herself to get mad at his lack of tacked or care.

"I thought the explanation would have been shorter" Cooler shrugged with a cold indifference

"Its not so simple"

"Yes it is. I'm sure you're simply over-reacting. Just because you have a responsibility doesn't mean you have to be there 24/7. I hear the Yardratians have a technique that lets you teleport across the universe" Chorona found a tinge of joy in Cooler's ignorance. "You can learn their move, then make a trip to where ever in five minutes. There. Solved your problem. You may praise me now"

"Seriously…" Chorona shook her head hard enough to send her brain spinning, pushing on past Cooler. _THAT was a pointless detour. Urg, I get so caught up in myself sometimes._

 _We all have our moments, Chorona. Sometimes we just need to let it out._

She stopped at the intrusion of her master's voice, she had completely forgotten that he was watching her. The realisation had come with a wave of guilt flooding her body, she had just monologued complaining about the Time Vault. She just hoped she hadn't offended her master. She said he was a nice old man!

 _Don't worry, Chorona. I just never knew you felt that way. You make it sound so… Grueling. Something to talk about when you return. So, for now… Imagine I'm patting you on the shoulder in a comforting way_

She found herself giggling at her Master's words, before realising that Cooler had once again set his glare upon her. "I wasn't giggling at you, I promise!"

"Huh?" The Arcosian thought to question her further, but simply resided to continue with what she apparently didn't hear from him. "I said, I have responsibilities too"

"I'm not understanding…"

He sighed, growled, and groaned all at once, putting his hand against his face as he calmed himself down. "You asked earlier why I was here. I assume that since you gave me your sob story, it would only be right that I trade you an answer in return" He paused, waiting for her to interrupt, but she simply gestured for him to go on while her face lit up once more. "I have responsibilities to my subjects, to my throne. A universe-spanning empire is not easily maintained, and my reign has started off under opposition. I'm here because I was informed that something that could aid my Empire lies here"

The gears in Chorona's head started to turn as she began theorising. _The change caused something to appear here that could help him?_ "So, you're here to help your people?"

"And serve my own ends in gaining more power and control. But, yes, that's the gist of it" Chorona wondered if he was hiding another detail to this reason, maybe she'd get more out of him if she informed him of all the time travel shenanigans.

 _No, no, no. Don't tell him!_ She chastised herself before looking back to Cooler, crossing her now drenched arms and offering him a nod. "Thank you, that's very helpful." Cooler seemed confused by the gratitude, but didn't push on it. "…Grumps"

"What?"

"Grumps, that's what I'M gonna call YOU"

"Just… No, pick a better one. You're terrible at this. I should kill you for that"


	14. A link to the past?

"So… What is it?" Cooler's eyes narrowed upon the object that now floated before then, scrutinizing it's clear surface with mild disappointment. There was no doubt in his mind that this was the source of the distraction, the strong feeling had escalated from a subtle tap to a grab by the shoulders with a yell, all around this one rather plain object.

"Uh… A thingy? A thingy that floats" It was a crystal. Not some roughly shaped chunk of expensive material broken off from the underground, but a smooth and tempered jewel you'd most likely find in a shop, a hand-crafted appeal of a trinket you'd most likely wear around your neck or on a crown (Which also made Cooler mentally note to get a crown, Frieza broke the last one). But still, it was so simple. In Cooler's mind, he imagined a grand creature or some sort of complex device burrowing into the Earth that had somehow ripped into the air. Not some jewel.

At what felt akin to a bolt of electricity race through his body, he gave a surprised gasp at Chorona grabbing a hold of his tail, pulling on it as she was tugged forward a few inches. She gave a sheepish smile in return for his eventual glare. Cooler supposed it made sense, as they had neared the site beforehand he found the increasing gravity limiting his flight, now that they had arrived at the crystal gravity had changed enough to attempt to pull the two towards it. The young Arcosian was lucky enough to have his feet bare and digging into the ground as a natural response, the Squirt on the other hand seemingly had shoes that did little to grip her to the ground.

It didn't mean he would keep his venom to himself at her grabbing him. "Maybe it would be more productive to simply toss you at it!"

"Maybe we can use you to hammer it, your head's thick enough; you oversized gecko!" She shot back with an indignant smirk, that quickly turned into a pained squeal as she grasped Cooler's tail tighter.

And so followed a noise that Chorona could on describe as the pained scream of a castrated, dying turkey. "Gah! What is wrong with you, you pig! You don't squeeze it!" Cooler growled after his shriek tore through Chorona's ear drums, his feet digging deeper into the ground as he tried to squeeze the stinging away.

The Kai gave out a triumphant smirk at the momentary pain she caused the Emperor. "Keep insulting me and I start biting"

"Start biting and I decorate this hole with your insides!" The Arcosian shot back with a viscous bark, swinging his arm around in an attempt to grab the woman. Sadly, he found that he couldn't quite reach from this angel.

"Then you can b-" Chorona was forced to bite down on her immediate remark as a quick flash of light sparked around the crystal, dragging the two's attention back to the object. It floated above a deep pit, which looked like something big had crash into it recently, like a pod. Around the Crystal small fragments of rock, grass, dirt and even wood circled around the object mid-air. Behind them was a small mountain, it seemed that they had arrived at the edge of the swamp, which connected to the other side of the wasteland.

Before any questions could be posed another flash occurred, this time accompanied by a sound as a sharp as a crack of a whip, as if the crystal was attempting to communicate with the two. With his focus back on the crystal, Cooler noted a myriad of shapes that populated it's flawless surface. From this distance he could make out a bit of what he assumed to be reflections on the underside of the crystal.

The reflection depicted some type of strangely human-shaped creature, whose form was obscured quite a bit by fog, that stared blankly into the distance. Before the creature pulled up it's hands, putting two fingers to its forehead. In an instant, the form had faded away, leaving only the fog to cloud up the reflection.

But it couldn't be a reflection, Cooler told himself. Nothing under the crystal or around it in anyway replicated fog, nor were there any other creatures around randomly disappearing, Cooler and Chorona were the only ones there. "You can see that on the thingy all the way from here? Wow, you ice people have a good eye"

"Well, we can fire lasers from i- YOU DID IT AGAIN, HOW!?" Cooler shriek caught Chorona off guard, but she simply returned to an innocent and sheepish expression that only made her look all the more guilty. _That's it, there's something off here. I KNOW I didn't say that out loud, and I KNOW that there's no way she could have guessed what I was able to see! It's as if she's… As if she's…_ "You…"

"Huh?"

Cooler was unsure whether to explode in anger and utter humiliation, or break out into laughter at the realisation. Instead, he resolved to simply push forward with bitter amusement. "You filthy, conniving, cheeky little wench. You can read my mind, can't you!" That explained why she, oh so conveniently stumbled over herself when he realised that she was tailing him, that's why she seemed to even expect his sudden death beam. She had been reacting to his own thoughts. "Oh, father would have adored one with such a tempting advantage"

Chorona sighed, responding in a simple manner "Okay, you got me" Which gave more disappointment to Cooler, he at least expected the girl to stupidly deny the claim for a few more wasted seconds. "It was obvious, of course someone as amazing as me would have such a power" And there came the outcome Cooler should have predicted.

Then followed the immediate narrow of the eyes, the flash of possible embarrassment and a tone of cold curiosity. "How long have you been reading them?"

She greeted him with a teasing smirk that managed to get a twitch from his eye. "I stopped doing it a while back… Your mind goes to some weird places, Grump. Though, I must say how flattered I am-"

"Shut up." No attempt at wit, no entertaining her jabs, just a loud and angry snap. He was not prepared to deal with someone who might have some unexpected dirt on him. Now he had to fight his mind to remember if he thought anything too revealing on his way here. Maybe something that could damage him. Maybe a chink in his armour.

"Look, I'm sor-"

"I told you. Shut. Up. Peasant" He didn't realise it at first, but the mere notion that someone like her could so easily break through his mind, the one pace he ever saw as a sanctuary from danger… It struck a chord of fear. A feeling Cooler thought his father had long forced out of him a long time ago.

As if in line with Cooler's cold tongue lashing, the crystal made yet another cracking sound, this time booming much louder and even managing to cause the scenery around them to shake and… Contort?! It was as their own vision was becoming a fun house mirror, bending all sight into funny shapes. Followed by a roar of thunder as sparks emitted from the crystal, individual bursts spraying outwards and lashing out at the landscape, dragging pieces upwards.

"What the-" Cooler gasped out as the Crystal's pull increased, the sparks lashing out at the air and forcing it to explode in a gust of strong wind.

"It's getting more violent-" A spark grew into a dangerous bolt that aimed right for Chorona's head, forcing her to leap upwards and let go of Cooler's tail, providing him a moment of relief before she set her arms around his neck. "Your Ki! It's reacting to your Ki rising!"

"Are you saying this is my fault!?" The Emperor roared as the woman's arms pulled at his throat, practically choking him. The wind picked up and the loud scream of broken glass told Cooler that the crystal was beginning to crack.

"Just calm down, Cooler! You're making it worse!"

"I will not take orders from some dendrophilic pig!" With another shout the crack spread across the crystal, taking on an appearance similar to a very thin thread reaching from either side and attempting to pull the crystal apart. And pull it apart they did.

Within seconds the crystal was torn open, an explosion of energy and light engulfing their sight, but only for a moment. When that moment passed as the light was drained away, all that was left was a crack. Not a crack in the ground, nor in the crystal, nor in anything physical. It was a crack in the air, that spread like a virus, all leading to one giant opening that reeled the bickering duo in despite their resistance.

His feet could help him no longer as a tree slammed into Cooler's back, along with a large accumulation of the dirt below it, the wind delivering a crushing blow to his legs and forcing him upwards. And like that all control was take away, his limbs left to flail helplessly against the crushing power of the vortex, his body brought to drown in the light blue sea of light.

* * *

Chorona could only sigh in frustration at her situation, taking in the dark and damp landscape around her, spires of rock penetrating a sea of fog. The air thick with heat and musk, weighing down on her lungs and drawing out hollow breaths. It was a new feeling for her, the air in the Time Nest had always been so clear and light, but this felt as if she had been dragged underwater with how much punishment her lungs were taking. The gravity felt lighter at least.

To make things worse, a right stinging sensation had already struck her backside. Whatever she had landed upon was something not made for sitting on, a misshapen structure that led to plenty of fidgeting from her as it only seemed to make her itch. She was partly afraid of removing herself from the 'seat', looking down at the fog she felt her stomach go queasy at the sight. It looked thick, not even an inch of her gaze could pierce through it, she didn't even want to think about what could be beneath it.

Trying to ignore the oppressive atmosphere that weighed down on her body, she tried to think back to how she got here. They were bickering at the crystal, Cooler was totally being an unreasonable prat, then the crystal broke into an unstable crack, there was a tree, they were sucked in… "And then… And then there was a bright light. And now I'm here, wherever here is"

The kai grumbled to herself as she spoke, rasping her knuckles against her forehead in frustration. "Think Chorona, think. You can figure out what this is! Then you can act all intelligent and rub it in everyone's face… And get out of here" She pushed her fist into her palm like a thinking stance. "This was the only thing otherworldly in the area, so this has to be the cause of the interference with the scroll. And if it interferes with the scrolls, this has to be something time related. Which must mean… Which must mean…" Swiftly, she brought her arms out wide in desperation, a 'gah' caught in her throat. "Master would be able to figure this ou- Ah! That's it, I'll ask him!"

 _Master! You might be a bit confused, not being able to see what's happened and all, but I think I found something._

She waited for a moment, pausing for an introjection from her Master to respond with his usual concerns, but her Master didn't comment this time. _Master?_ So, she waited. No response. She waited longer. Not a peep. _Master!? MASTER! Can't you hear me!?_ And yet again her question was only met with silence in her own mind, a sliver of dread filling her stomach. "He can't hear me anymore..." She muttered to herself, a pained pull to her tone. Her shoulder deflating with her confidence.

Chorona was cocky and egotistical sometimes… A lot of times. But that didn't mean she didn't appreciate the fact that her master was within ear shot, ready to give timely advice for when she eventually screwed up. The knowledge that he was currently unable to speak to her, at now of all times when she was sent to an unknown location. It all weighed heavily on her. "Oh, crud. I'm all alone. This is a punishment, isn't it? For all those times I forgot to get Master his tea, for all the times I chucked bird seeds at Toki-Toki. It was a joke, it was a joke!"

"And now I'm all alone. Well, aside from that fo-" A sudden memory sliced through her voice midsentence like the gleaming edge of a blade, a mixed feeling of both hesitation, anger and desperation. "COOLER! Cooler! Where did that gecko get thrown too!? I can't stand it here all alone!"

Her answer came in the form of a familiar bitter and dry delivery that rose in volume and emotion, almost instantly, though that wasn't what caught her attention. The strange part was the direction of the voice, it wasn't coming from above, nor hiding in the midst of the strange spires, strangely enough: It was coming from right below her.

"You better count your lucky stars that I wasn't in my first form, Squirt" She felt her mis-shapen, ungrateful, and uncomfortable chair rise beneath her. Her body carried upwards as she let out a quiet squeak of 'eep'. "Because if I was only so lucky, you'd find the jagged end of a horn penetrating you from the bottom up, skewering your kidneys, puncturing your lungs AND MAKING SHISHKABAB OUT OF YOUR EYES!" His voice rose to the largest output of air his lungs could muster. "NOW, REMOVE YOURSELF FROM ME AT ONCE. I AM NOT YOUR PERSONAL THRONE!"

With yet another squeak at the bellowing voice of a tyrant (She could guess he had plenty of training shouting orders) the small Kai threw herself from her perch on his head, and in her heated confusion only grew more fearful as her eyes made contact with the veil of fog, which grew ever closer as she fell. "NO, NO! I don't want to drown!" She desperately flailed in mid-air, clamping her eye shut, awaiting what-ever horrors her mind could conjure up for what slept below the fog.

"Stop screami-" She ignored Cooler's venom fuelled complaints, continuing to cry for help from the man.

"Help, please, I'm too cute to die on some random backend of the universe!"

"Squirt, this is just path-"

"Shut up and save me!"

A sigh was heard "Alright." And within a few seconds she felt his index finger deliver a hard jab to her forehead. "For the sake of decency, open your eyes you pathetic worm" With a pout and a good helping of bitter remarks from Cooler, her eyelid opened up, just a peak. To her amazement, and embarrassment, she found that she now stood up. Both feet firmly on whatever ground there was, her chest submerged in the fog as her chin just managed to keep itself free.

"Oh… That was a lot shallower than I thought…"

"Of course it was"

"I think I blew this a bit out of proportion"

"Yes, yes you did. You are an idiot. You fail at life yet again" Cooler rolled his eyes and loosed his arms, moving past her to examine the environment. "Besides, why didn't you just try flying. You know, like I just did?"

Chorona froze up in embarrassment, silence ensuing.

"You forgot that you could fly, didn't you?"

"…Maybe"

With another scowl, Cooler continued onward, though this time he did at least have the curtesy to move his tail to force her along to follow him. "Just… Grab my tail, or you'll just get lost like that" He growled reluctantly, an offer that Chorona was only happy to take him up on as she instantly reached for his tail. It was softer when he wasn't trying to hit her with it.

"Thanks!" She piped up with genuine appreciation, a bit taken back by the gesture.

However, in response she only received an annoyed scoff "If I didn't you wouldn't shut up, like the cry baby you are"

Chorona puffed out her cheeks and bit back an insulting response, the brief flicker of appreciation for the man immediately died. _Why does he have to be such a snob!? I can't wait to be rid of him…_ She settled to instead to question him, applying a light layer of annoyance to her tone. "Can't you just take the thanks and be content with that? Why do you have to just fight me very step of the way?"

"Because I'm the Emperor, I can not possibly offer you an inch" He states dryly, stopping around a spire, the rocky structure reaching up to penetrate the abyss of the sky. "Besides, I can't allow filth as low as you to gain any outlandish ideas"

"You can't handle basic manners and have to be Mr Grump all the time, got it" Chorona shrugged with a condescending wiggle of her finger. _And to think, I was thanking him. Gah, I should ge t reward for this, the temptation to bite this fop is too tempting for even an cute and innocent Goddess-in-training like myself!_

By this point Cooler had taken an immense interest in their surrounds, but not in the sense of a strange new discovery or the plain curiosity from earlier when he took to the swamps, this time his gaze swept with a sprinkle of recognition. "It couldn't be, could it?" He thought aloud as his fingers grazed the rock, though before Chorona could question what he meant her ears jolted to life upon hearing a gaggle of loud murmurs approaching.

"Uh, Cooler?" She tugged on the man's tail, but he seemed to take no notice of her as he thought out whatever conundrum had just hit him. Craning her neck around she could just see the dark silhouettes of multiple humanoid creature's approaching them at a tempered rate, the fog embracing their forms like a lost love and adding to their mystic.

"I think I might know where we are, even if it sounds completely deluded…" Cooler now turned to the figures, another knowing look reaching his dry gaze, the edges of his lips wobbling as they didn't know which emotion they wished to emote: confusion or smugness. "I knew I recognised the figures in that reflection" Either way, the biggest factor that Chorona took out of it was that the Tyrant didn't look worried. And she did not know whether to take that as a good thing, or a bad thing. "This might sound completely crazy, and I don't know how this would be possible; but I believe we have found ourselves stranded on the Planet Yardrat"

"Huh, that does sound crazy" The fog finally gave way to let Chorona catch teasing glimpses of the creatures before them, large bulbous heads pertruded through the fog, long and thick cat-like whiskers shooting out from around their mouths, wrinkled and curled chins stabbing at the air. All but one were dressed in rather ceremonial looking crimson guard, with one black shoulder pad that stretched across their waists. "But not as crazy as you think…"

One lone yardratian that looked like the most especially dangerous one, seemed to have ditched his outfit, instead opting for dark violet gi pants and iron-esc boots; leaving his blue flesh bare. Both Chorona and Cooler took this to mean that this one was the strongest of the group, or was the residential nudist of the specifies. "I recognise the planet's surface, and these creatures just confirm my theory. Did that crystal crack really bring us here?"

Chorona thought it made at least a little sense, though she acknowledged that Cooler did lack some context to come to her conclusion. If the crystal was related to a time disturbance of some sorts, maybe when it broke, it opened some sort of link to another point in history. To Yardrat. Cooler had seen these figures reflected in the crystal before it broke. That was the theory the Kai was going with. "I think we have bigger problems, Grump. They look a little… Uh… Angry."

"Oh, calm yourself before you grow a small sewage plant in your trousers" And Cooler's condescending tone struck again, the shaking of his head only making him sound more smug as he 'educated' the pink woman. "Yardratians are a largely peaceful people, and very few of them are even warriors of any note. As long as you don't offend them, by which I mean if you open those puffed up prunes you call a mouth, there will be no trouble here"

Chorona doubted this as the group of Yardratians came to a stop in plain view of the two, throwing out any hope that they couldn't see the duo. And they looked more than a little peeved off. Maybe pink and purple was offensive for them? Of course, Cooler took the first initiative and held out his arms, a self-confident glow radiating from his expression. Surely, nothing could go wrong.

"Greetings, Yardratians. I am Emperor Cooler, ruler of all the known universe, and strongest to boot. And this is my pet pig, Squirt-" He was delighted to meet Chorona's death glare head on. "-And due to regrettable circumstance, we have found ourselves lost on your planet. It would be much appreciated if you could lead us to a ship of sorts…" As Cooler continued his greetings, the Yardratians stood still with nothing indicating that they could even hear him, leaving him with suspicion in his thoughts. _Could these vermin be responsible for our sudden relocation? They do have a technique that allows them to teleport…_ "Well? Answer me… I said, out with it. Speak before I am tempted to remove your he-"

The blue Yardratian opened his mouth, and Cooler's voice immediately halted in its tracks, a twinge of pain seemingly tugging at the man's eye. This left Chorona in a state of confusion as she witnessed the smug demeanour fall to a flat and frozen figure, with the exception of the momentary twitch of his eye. "Cooler?" The girl was too distracted to attempt to hide the worry in her voice, her gaze turning to spare a glance at the blue creature, whose mouth still remained wide open, but no sound ever escape.

All at once Cooler's pained scream echoed across the depths of the fogs, making Chorona jump backwards and forcing her to act as a witness to Cooler falling to his knees, grasping his ears in shock as his eyes widened. "Can't you hear it!? It's terrible!"

"Hear what!?"

"That noise, it's ringing in my ear, ripping my hearing in two and bounding off the walls of my brain… That… That…" He let out another growl before he bit down on his lip, hoping for the noise to stop "You mean, you can't hear that static?"


	15. A Matter of Trust

The Yardratians faded into the mist like water flowing into a murky river, only leaving ripples in their wake as their forms dissipated around the two outlanders. From Cooler's perspective, the trio of abnormal creatures were only predators playing with their food, dancing around the realms of his vision to give false hope of escape, before they'd pounce on the two and strike the killing blow. And to make matters worse, Cooler felt weak and frail from his position on the ground, his ears still ringing from the abuse of the static noise.

It wasn't just the burning in his ear drums that hurt him so, his lungs felt pressured and shrivelled from the humid nature of the planet's atmosphere. Couple that with the high-risk situation, moments of fleeting panic, and the increasing tempo of his heart. Cooler's was sweating up a storm that dragged down his muscles. _And of course, my far inferior, less important, less skilled pig is dealing with this better than I!_

Overall, it put a bit of a shadow over his day.

Chorona had positioned herself in front of Cooler, keenly watching the movements of their Yardrat attackers, only a few beads of sweat dripping down her skin. It was almost insulting to Cooler that this woman could stand while he, the Emperor of the Universe, had already been forced to his knees to gasp by a simple sound. This simply would not do!

"I don't know what hit these worms hard enough on the head to think they can attack ME-" Cooler began, breathing out his self-motivational quip in a husky tone. "-But they're in for a rude awakening if they believe they, worm-eating insects, can stand up to an Emperor!"

In response to the tyrant's words, Chorona gave a roll of her eyes along with a quick glance towards him before retorting "Maybe try saying that when you're not on the floor" Her gaze snapped at the slightest noise from the mist, her eyes flaring in frustration as she attempted to sense her foes. But low and behold, her ability to sense ki was distorted as well here. _Of course_ She thought bitterly.

Her gaze was allowed a sweeping view of the thick fog, no green or blue creature in sight aside from the few moments where she was able to catch a glimpse of a moving shadow at the edge of the empty veil. As her frustrations grew, and the anticipation of the next attack built up within her stomach, her vision became loose. The fog morphed into various vague shapes, some were laughing faces, others were fluffy bunnies, another one would have made her blush if the situation wasn't so dangerous.

She felt tempted to move, but another remark from Cooler reminded her that if she did she would leave him wide open to attack while he was recovering, and despite his disgusting behaviour it was her duty as a Kai to not purposely leave the man for dead. At least, for now while he hadn't committed any terribly ill deeds in her presence. As a plus, she also acknowledged that for now their position by the spires allowed them to limit where their foe could strike from, meaning less chances of Chorona receiving an attack from the rear. Well, unless Cooler recovered and decided to for some reason.

Besides, in this atmosphere she had to make each of her movements count, as well as always take time to breath. The Yardratians would be used to it, giving them a daunting advantage in this fight. Right on cue, her pointed ear twitched at the loud thump that emitted as soon as one fighter pushed themselves into a charge. And out of the mist's tight embrace a form of the blue Yardratian sped like a bullet as it launched itself towards her, it's fist shooting out to slam in her face. Upon reflex, her hand opened and her feet shuffled, instantly putting an open palm in the way of the punch. Though she only JUST managed to keep her balance after the full power of the punch shook her stance.

Without hesitation, Chorona pushed her self-back a few paces off of the blue fist, throwing her weight onto her back to dodge the next strike. Following up her dodge with yet another pivot that spun her forward, manuvering around her opponent and planting her foot firmly into his back. Taking a moment to take in the appearance of her opponent, a spark of familiarity arose in her mind, a memory of her study on the various species of Universe 7 from the Time Nest. A name came to mind at the sight of his blue skin. Soba.

She didn't know whether this really was supposed to be the well-known Yardratian figure, but she preferred at this point to at least have a name for her foe other than their species. Then again, were these really Yardratians? She never recalled any of them having a scream that could bring men to their knees, nor something that she was apparently immune to. She reasoned that this distortion world or whatever it was is merely taking the form of Yardrat and its inhabitants. For one reason or another.

However, there was no time to think further as Soba's form disappeared within only an instance, replicating what Chorona knew was the 'Instant Transmission' technique. As if on cue, on either side of her she witnessed both of Soba's accomplices fade into view, their legs raised with threatening efficiency. One aimed high for her head, another aimed down for her legs. Upon spotting this, Chorona threw herself forward while swinging her body, managing to put her body just in-between the two kicks and avoid their damage.

Unfortunately for her, Soba came back into view instantly from above her as she spun in mid-air. His form came rocketing to the ground like an anchor, his large foot slamming down upon Chorona's head and crusher her form against the ground in a sudden and blunt strike. She only managed to choke out a gasp of pain before her face met the ground, her bones groaning against the pressure of Soba's boots. In a moment of slight relief, Soba leaped back towards the sky, only to aim down with his hand and charge up a golden beam of energy that felt blinding to look at when Chorona attempted to turn over.

Before she could even attempt to scramble to her feet the crushing pressure of golden energy began its descent to bear down upon her, adding a mix of beauty and hopelessness to the bleak veil of the fog as the golden hue spread. Her leg came up to bring her to a kneeling position, her only chance to dodge this now was to pull out _that_ technique. _If I don't use it, I'm going to be lit up like a Christmas tree. But if I do use it, I'm not sure I'll still be able to stand…_

However, her mental weighing of the pros and cons of the decision came to a complete halt as she felt the rough surface of Cooler's tail land on top of her back, the fog around her pushed away by the presence of his feet; a growl very audible above her. "I already told you…" Managing to shield her eyes from the glow, her gaze made out Cooler's tall figure standing over her body, grunting and sweating as he slammed his hands against Soba's blast. "THESE INSECTS CANNOT COMPARE TO ME!" To her great surprise, even in his weakened state, the man managed to hold his own against Soba's attack. The effort welcomed many grunts of disapproval from the annoyed tyrant, but his efforts in pounding his fists against the beam managed to allow him to slowly knock it off course. Sending the golden blast to shoot off behind the two, quickly swallowed by the mist.

As she now scrambled to her feet, making haste to return to a fighting stance, she felt the ground around them crack and break in reaction to the shear impact of the Arcosian batting away the blast. Of course, the first sight she took in when she got up was the smug fop's smug mug, looking quite pleased with himself. Thankfully, it was short lived as merely looking at her made him frown. "So, you can fight too. Of course, you can" And like that, he returned to digging deep into his lungs for breath. Admittedly, it was a miracle that he was still standing and ready to fight after taking the beam head on.

"I'm not just a pretty face, Grump" Still, she managed to at least give out a smirk as she turned her back against Cooler, looking to where the dangerous trio of Yardratians had disappeared to. "Though, I wouldn't blame you for assuming that. Since I do have a pretty cute face"

"And it's all balanced out by your terrible personality" Cooler shot back with a grunt, cracking the bones in his forearms for some type of relief.

At this Chorona's pink lips pulled together to form a pout "I'm charming and quirky. You're unappealing and grumpy. Shut up." Her voice came out as a petulant drone, though unlike other times her annoyance didn't seem to amuse Cooler. "Maybe it'd help your mind focus"

"I'm sure if my mind strays you'll let me know" This time around Cooler's tongue let loose venom into his tone, and Chorona was sure she'd spot a glare in his gaze if she looked back at him.

Admittedly, she could have responded better. "Oh, come on. Are you still on about that?" As their bickering started to arise again, their three opponents materialised around them, all rushing to meet the two in battle. Chorona jumped to avoid the lunge attack one attempted, ducking past Cooler as he reach forward and formed an iron grip on the attackers arm, before proceeding to throw the fighter back into the mist.

"I'm sorry if I don't view you skipping around the corners my mind like a child's playhouse, isn't a trivial matter to me" The monarch spat out in a threatening growl, leaping back as Soba rained down a barrage of Ki blasts upon them.

Chorona slammed her knee into the stomach of the third Yardratian, getting a successful grunt of pain from the creature before dropping down to sweep him off his feet with a strong kick. All before firing back "It's not a big deal!"

At those small words from the girl Cooler only seemed to quickly approach his bursting point, shooting her a look of pure rage that stopped Chorona in her tracks, as if the intensity of the stare let out some invincible force. "That's easy for you to say, you low-level scum. Your power your skills, your dominance. None of that registers in your life" He reached forward with his hand, before crushing his fingers together to form and fist and continue to bat away Soba's blasts. "I am the Emperor, YOUR Emperor. I stand as the strongest in the universe, I suffer a life that revolves around strength and ambition. I don't show weakness. I don't have weakness! Through my position all I face is knives in my back, every moment spent with a look over my shoulder-" Despite the ever growing problem of his aching muscles, Cooler managed to pull himself to experience a spike in his ki. His rage flowing into his body as he powered up, the tormented winds of power that were created through his screaming pushed the Yardratians back a few paces. "-The fabric of my mind existed as my only sanctuary. For a creature such as you, one of such shameful filth, one of such lower class, to defile that sanctuary. TO make me experience the concept of vulnerability... That's simply DISGUSTING!"

He threw his left foot forward to slam into the ground, creating an explosion of dust as the ground quaked in his wake, before he pushed off that foot and into the air; throwing himself towards Soba with a battle cry, his momentum carrying him through at an amazing speed. "And now these insects dare to challenge me, to mock me?!" Within an instant his shoulder slammed into Soba's stomach with a force that could shatter mountains, leaving Soba only a moment to gasp as the wind was knocked out of the creature, before Cooler followed his attack up with a spin that allowed his tail to lash out at Sob like a whip; tearing off a clean strip of Soba's skin. "UNACCEPTABLE!"

Before Soba could even register the pain the monarch joined his hands together as one fist and raised his arms high, and then proceeding to bring his fists down like a mighty sledge hammer sending Soba's battered and bruised body careening into the ground and under the layer of fog. But to Cooler's disgust the creature had the audacity to still live despite the devastating blows, as a few seconds later Soba's body rose past the surface of the mist engulfing the floor, managing to pull himself from the crater created from his landing. Instead of charging Cooler, his jaw dropped opened and the creature let loose a familiar damning tune.

"Arg!" It started as a great struggle, the static reaching Cooler's ears drew out howls of anger and pain from the man, though this time he managed to resist against the pain. Still, his ear eventually had enough and his form began to descend to the ground, his muscles giving into the static's crushing song. However, Chorona shook herself from her shocked stupor and jumped into action, using the advantage of Cooler's 'distraction' to slam her foot into the back of one opponent's head.

"Hang on, Cooler!" She called out as she pulled away from her target, turning her body in mid-air to lck her eyes onto Soba. With little hesitation, she fired her own two handed ki beam at Soba. With little charge up time, it was weak and did little damage to the creature, but it had enough punch behind it to put a stop to Soba's singing for a little while. Unfortunately for her, the other two Yardratians took this opportunity to rush towards the distracted kai and take her from the rear, in a synchronised formation, the two swooped in struct her in the back of the head, before the other appeared before her and unleashed a ki blast into her stomach.

In the span of five seconds Chorona had been sent soaring through the air and into the unsuspecting arms of a still recovering Cooler, who fell straight to the ground upon the small woman slamming into him. Ending up with the two crouched on the ground, Cooler now gripping his chest as his exhaustion began to catch up with him; Even Chorona was finding it difficult to hold on. They simply couldn't cope with the atmosphere. "No, this can not be… I am the strongest… I can't be surpassed by insects!"

Cooler's statement was let loose as a mostly desperate act of self-confirmation, his voice shaking as he refused to accept the danger of their situation. For once, Chorona gave the monarch a sympathetic look, it was a rather pitiful sight. Around them their foes hadn't simply sat idle for the monarch to rage, Soba and the two yardratians moved to surround the downed duo, raising their hands to deliver the finishing move. Again, a golden hue drowned out all other colours in bright flood.

"Does me being able to read your mind really effect you that much?" The little Kai questioned softly, looking to Cooler with a reserved expression. She had a plan, but she needed him to trust her. His only response was to try his best to keep his expression imposing. "I won't do it anymore, okay?" Her voice was softer this time, like a friend who just realised they'd offended you. It was a strange tone for her to take towards him.

He could guess that his thoughts at the moment had become details that weighed heavily on his face, she needed no mental ability to know his emotions. That little fact only added fuel to the inferno that was his jealous rage. How pathetic, how humiliating. "You're mocking me, aren't you?" His face didn't make any move to turn as he accused her.

"Wha- No! I really mean it. We're 'Convenient Acquaintances' in this, right? We have to trust each other, at least for a bit, and you can't trust me if I'm violating your brain" She tried to keep the mood light, weakly raising her hand to tap him on the fore head. The dangerous trio still charged up their blasts.

"Is this really the time for this?" Cooler growled, his gaze fluctuating between all three of their executioners.

"This is the only time we do have for this. Look, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I think I can get us out of this… But I need you to trust me, because I trust you" She re-affirmed holding out her hand for his, the gold glow getting dangerously brighter. "You have my word. A kai always pays their debts, appreciates their companions and keeps their word"

Cooler took a moment to stay silent, his lips turning into a thin line. At the same time, the beams of pure light and power were finally unleashed, bounding towards the two like a blood hungry beast. "Cooler…" With a grimace and a mutter that he'd regret this later, Cooler's fingers shot out to take Chorona's hand, their fingers intertwining as the beams closed in on the two. The Monarch turned his gaze to the light, determined to face his demise with at least a little pride. However…

" **TIME… STOOOOP**!" Chorona's cry almost didn't register to Cooler, but upon her scream he felt a light pressure on his shoulders, as if some unseen force was attempting to pull him away from Chorona's hand. What shocked him even more were the golden beams, they seemed to be slowing down gradually, the sounds that surrounded them distorted in a manner similar to a voice's pitch dropping. This was quickly followed by a strange filer of black and white that emerged from the tops of Chorona's fingers, stretching out around them, drowning the landscape and draining every last drop of colour. Soon, everything had come to a stop. The light was frozen. The Fog was static. And the Yardratians were stuck in a state of determination as they 'fired'.

"You… You…" Cooler couldn't believe his eyes or the ideas that accompanied his vision. It had to be impossible, yet he could come up with no other explanation as to what was happening; she stopped time around them. Before he could come up with further questions, Chorona urged him to move, hinting to him that this was probably a temporary event. Nodding and stunned into silence, Cooler took off into the sky (Just managing to push against the might of the gravity) with Chorona grabbing onto his shoulder. "We should use this opportunity to level the playing field" He spoke aloud, still not too sure on everything going on around him.

Still, now was the perfect opportunity to strike while they still could. "Hurry up, I can't keep this up for long" Chorona's voce prompted Cooler to look at her, giving him a sight that caught him off guard. As a far cry from the woman he bickered with a few seconds before hand, Chorona looked very different, her hair and skin looked paler and more rotten, eyes were empty. She looked so much more unnaturally fragile. The technique, or power, or whatever. It must have been taking a lot out of her.

Instead of pussy footing around Cooler nodded and accepted the woman's request, turning to look down on one of their attackers and raising his arm, charging up his ki. It seemed that this temporal state of limbo between time allowed Cooler to catch his breath and loosen his muscles, making his next attack easier to pull off. Chunks of rock floated upwards as he charged up, a spark of amber ki crackled between his fingertips, roaring to be unleashed in one powerful beam. And as Cooler noted the black and white filter draining from the scenery, he realised he had little time left, so her pushed his arm outward and unleashed his sweet retribution.

" **FULL POWER ENERGY WAVE!** " He screamed before all his energy flowed out of his palm in the form of a darker shade of gold energy that coursed with power. As the effects of Chorona's Time Stop came to a close, Cooler allowed himself to grin, witnessing one Yardratian only just realising that the two had gotten out of the way before Cooler's devastating blast engulphed the creature. Soba and the other Yardratian stood in amazement as their companion's very form was completely disintegrated by Cooler, who now floated above them. A smirk stretching his lips, despite the fact that Chorona had now returned to her original position on the man's head. "I don't know about you, Squirt, but I'm starting to get fired up" It seemed like that minute to catch his breath as all Cooler needed to get back in the game.

The two Yardratians only looked to where their fallen comrade's body would lay under the fog, as if they were waiting for something. To both Cooler's and Chorona's shock, they spotted a dark and purple aura inch out from the fog and rush over towards the two Yardratians, splitting in half before engulfing them both. "This is bad…" Chorona mused "Why do I get the feeling that killing one of them just made two of them stronger?"

"Because dark ominous aura has never been a good sign so far…" Cooler groaned, his feet meeting the ground in a soft landing as the two Yardratians turned back to stare him down. _Now that I mention it, that aura does look similar to the one around the crystal… Maybe they're connected somehow?_ He didn't make his surprise visible as Chorona plopped off of his head and back onto the floor, her face shifting away from its previous fragility, and moving back to its usual soft pink colour. While the strain of her technique did seem to leave some exhaustion on her features, she looked ready to fight. And while he'd never state it out loud, Cooler was a tad impressed. _Earth is just full of surprises…_

Soba and his comrade now stood tall and stern, their eyes flashing a crimson flair as the ominous and villainous aura grew around their form, the mere presence of their rising ki could be felt even by Cooler. "Are you okay?" He kept his eyes glued to his opponents despite the suddenness of Chorona's question.

He only scoffed at her concern and responded with his silver tongue back in action "Hmpf, I've ha better days. Though it seems I should be the one asking YOU, that strange technique of yours didn't seem easy to use"

"It took a lot out of me, but not as much as I thought it would"

"Have you got any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"I don't think so. You?"

Cooler looked down to his curled fist, letting out a grunt of dismay. "I did, but I believe I lost the chance to pull out that card after this fight started" Despite his readiness to fight, he knew his muscles were still too worn down for him to put them through his transformation. Maybe in a different atmosphere… _Fitting. A technique I was saving for Frieza once… Then a Super Saiyan… And now upon the moment I finally want to whip it out against a foe, I am unable to. Pitiful._ "But I will say, I'm starting to feel confident about our odds. Let us finish this!"

"Wait a sec…" Chorona chided in before Cooler attempted to charge into battle by himself, before surprising him by placing her hand on his chest. _Is she attempting to push me away?_ But before he could question the action, Chorona gave him a confident smile and closed her eyes, a light green glow emanating from her palm. Instead of blast or beam shooting from her fingers, the energy came out as a pleasant wave that pulsed out, spreading around his body. And in only a few second Cooler began to feel lighter, his muscles relaxing and to his amazement some of his bruises were fading with each green pulse. "I can't fully heal you, but I'll do what I can"

"You're like a walking pink swiss army knife…" Was all Cooler could muster at the sudden healing ability, and he began to wonder why he was even surprised at this point. Soon, Chorona pulled away with an awkward giggle, turning back to the fight where it seemed that their two opponents had finished powering up. "Now, as I was saying. Finish this and all that crap…"

"I'll take Soba, and you take on Suga?"

"Sure, I'll ta- Wait, what?!"

"I gave them names…"

"Bah, seriously?"

"JUST GO AND FIGHT SUGA!" With that yell of encouragement, Chorona took off in the direction of the blue one, making Cooler guess the red one was Suga. Wasting no time, Suga flashed out of view with instant transmission before appearing just behind Cooler and delivering a solid blow to the man's back, pushing Cooler into a stumble. However, Cooler managed to swerve to avoid the next kick, throwing his body around to grab the offending foot with one arm, before driving his other elbow into Suga's knee.

This dragged a satisfying scream from his opponent, but it didn't keep the creature down, and only encouraged it's other leg to come swinging and slam into the side of Cooler's head. This forced Cooler to let go of Suga's limb as he stumbled back, the kick followed up by a barrage of powerful jabs with Suga's feet that pushed the Arcosian backwards. Suga finished his attack by flipping back to land on the floor with a ball of ki in hand, pushing off and attempting to slam into cooler and drill the ki ball into the monarch's chest.

However, upon making contact with Cooler's body Suga found himself merely falling through Cooler's chest as the Arcosian's tall image faded from view. Cooler wasted no time and used his after image to bolt past the Yardratian, his tail following swiftly with the base of his tail lashing out against Suga, prompting the limb to coil around the Yardratian's throat with ease. Not content with just choking his victim to death, Cooler threw all his weight forward, bringing his body into a dive and allowing him to land slamming his hands into the ground; resulting in a handstand that caused the choking Yardratian to suddenly jerk as the tail brought him down to meet the ground for a brief moment of pain. Before the tail dragged him back up above Cooler. "Good boy, now… Kneel before your Emperor"

With only another whip of his mighty tail, Cooler sent the Yardratian hurdling through the air and towards Soba and Chorona's fight. With a sickening and smug grin Cooler called to Chorona, letting her know of the body that was flying towards her. The Kai's fight seemed to have gone well, managing to keep up a decent pace with Soba and constantly weaving and swerving away from all his attacks. Even with his instant transmission that allowed him to pop all over the place with only a thought, Chorona still managed to get in some good hits.

Before Cooler had thrown Suga, Chorona had been put on the defensive side of the fight, jumping back a few paces every few seconds and Soba's hands shot out at a break neck pace to deliver devastating jabs. Her small and nimble form allowed her to keep her body quick and easy to dodge the attacks, but she knew she wouldn't be able to keep this up forever. Thinking quickly, she shot a small energy blast from her palm that easily smashed into Soba's face, temporarily stopping his assault for a moment and allowing Chorona the chance to lunge forward strike the underside of the creature's head.

At this Soba let out a growl as the uppercut sent him reeling, and despite her best judgement Chorona took this as an opportunity to use her Time Stop technique yet again. In quick succession, all the colours of the world faded away to allow her time in limbo, this time Cooler froze in his position as well, as long as nobody was touching her she'd be the only one unaffected by her technique. She hurried up her plan as the strain instantly hit her, pulling down on her flesh and screaming into her brain like a pack of wolves pulling apart their dinner. She even felt her skin cracking at the pressure of it all.

Despite the pain, she sucked it up and jumped forward, initiating a barrage of punches and kicks of her own this time. Striking Soba's stomach, pounding his chest and for good measure she gave a good few chops to the creature's head. Upon letting go of her technique the colour gradually flooded back in around, Soba didn't even have a chance to move before all the pain and effects of Chorona's punches set in and descended upon him. A strike to his stomach had him stumbling back, the blow upon his chest took the wind out of him and the chops upon his head left him rather confused.

And then came Cooler's warning as his opponent came rushing towards them as a limb and beaten body. With her body screaming for a moment of rest, Chorona dived to the ground into a small roll that took her around Soba, where she put every last ounce of her strength into sweeping the blue bastard off his feet and into his comrade. It only just managed to work and Suga's body slammed into Soba, sending both over Chorona and the slammed into the spire. Prompting Chorona to scramble to her feet and share a knowing nod with Cooler, both jumping to each other's sides to face the other duo with their hands raised. Cooler firing his death beams like there was no tomorrow while Chorona unleashed a ki blast barrage, every hit forged a puff of smoke that only grew and obscured where the two were firing.

That didn't stop the two from unloading all they could muster onto their opponents, a mixture of green and purple flashes drowning in the smoke and causing the spire to crumble to dust that increased the smoke's reach. But soon they came to a point where they had to stop, or risk pushing themselves into total exhaustion. So, they let the smoke clear, both eagerly waiting to see the result of their effort, and too their dismay they spotted to figures still standing.

As the smoke pulled back, they were greeted with the sight of Suga's now lifeless body standing in front of Soba, filled with bruises, scratches, blood and even holes. It was clear Suga had taken the brunt of the blasts and had paid dearly for it, though Soba did still look pretty badly beaten as he watched his last comrade fall past the fog and fade away. Soba rose with his eyes now completely blank, leaping towards the center of the clearing, and like before a villainous aura rose from the depths of the fog and headed straight towards Soba, engulfing him with an explosion of power.

However, this time when Soba stopped to power up, the entire area seemed to shake in dismay. As if they were atop of a disrupted volcano that was about to blow. From under Soba, the ground gave way to constant shaking and split apart into the familiar shape of a crack, one that exploded with dark blue energy. As the villainous aura swallowed Soga the crack burst with what could be seen as a bolt of lightning that shot out and struck Soga dead on, as if he was a metal pole in a thunder storm of power, and instead of harming the creature it only seemed to channel the explosive power of the distortion into him. His muscles strained, his aura grew and his screams ripped into the very surface of the planet around him.

"If us killing the others makes him more powerful, what will us killing him do?" Cooler had to yell to have his voice heard over the roars of the rumbling grounds. Before Chorona could respond, Soba leapt forward with a earth shattering thump fractured the ground around him, charging straight at her with a face of pure rage, but just as she raised her hands to defend herself Soba's entire body disappeared before her eyes. The follow up noise of Cooler's surprised grunt as well as a high-pitched clash of fists caused Chorona to turn around, realising that Soba had simply teleported behind her, where he now rammed his fists into Cooler, who had pulled his arms up in a blocking position to defend himself.

Cooler felt weaker with each blow, Soba's new power up adding an extra layer of pressure to his punched that made Cooler's bone groan as they attempted to stay together. Not pleased with Cooler blocking him, Soba instead switched tactics and took advantage of his positon, slamming his knee straight into Cooler's gut. Which coaxed a scream from the monarch. The follow up knee broke through Cooler's defence and the third blow decisively left Cooler wide open as her fell back, Soga showing no mercy and mimicking Cooler's earlier Sledgehammer move with his arms raised, and slamming down upon Cooler's head, sending him to the ground with little stress.

"Cooler!" Chorona called out rushing forward to help the fallen monarch, only for Soba to whip around and let out a powerful beam of ever darkening blue. Upon hitting Chorona dead on, it ripped through her hip with a sizzling hiss; not only ripping the fabric of her clothing, but also taking a chunk of her flesh with it. This ended up with Chorona hitting the floor like a sack of bricks, lying on her side and glaring at Soba as the creature approached her, ready to finish her off. "I'm not going down that easy!" She spat out in defiance, using her other hand to fire a ki blast at Soba, which ended up not effecting him in the slightest. She tried again, soon falling into spamming small amount of her ki to try and overwhelm the creature, but he only easily swatted each blast away with his hand.

She attempted to use her time stop ability again, but this time her attempts only served to cause a burning sensation in her mind that only proceeded to sting her at every attempt. Behind Soba she spotted Cooler getting back to his feet his rage consuming his face as he charged Soba, only for the creature to easily turn slightly and grab Cooler by the arm, stopping him in his tracks before driving it's foot into Cooler's knee; forcing the Arcosian to kneel. Trying desperately to ignore her pain, Chorona took off to help Cooler. _If he can still stand, so can I!_ She jumped up and twisted her body to send her leg swinging into the back of Soba's head, but this time he raised his other hand to block her, but this now left him with nothing to block a third attack. She took this opportunity to send both her hands to punch Soba directly in his beady eyes, resulting in a scream of pain from the creature before Cooler reeled his head back and threw it forward to deliver a powerful head butt to the creature's chest.

This pushed Soba back and away from them, but not in a stumble, his feet stayed firmly on the ground and dug further into the earth as he was moved back. They could guess his rage mimicked Coolers if his eyes weren't just empty white balls now. With another roar from the ground, the crack began to spread, the blue energy lashing out at the landscape and dragging down more pieces of the planet into its abyss. Soon it was beginning to look less like a crack in the ground, and more like a whirlpool of energy that sucked in everything it touched.

Soba now moved above the whirlpool with his energy crackling around him, the blue hue reaching out to strike him once more. Pushing both of his hands together he formed two dark balls in either hand, as he charge up his ki once more both Cooler and Chorona could tell that he was preparing for his ultimate attack that would hopefully finish them off.

Letting out a short-lived scream of anguish, Cooler barked out "What do we do against that?"

"Simple…" Chorona breathed out slowly as she began to charge up her own ki, mimicking Cooler's own movements to charge up his beam attack from earlier. "We push it back!"

"Are you crazy?"

Chorona shrugged at his response, gesturing to Soba "Maybe, but that has nothing to do with this. This guy is too agile and strong for us to fight him up close, but maybe if we combine our powers together we can get him in a beam struggle"

For a moment, Cooler merely glared at Chorona, then he sighed, then he rolled his eyes, and with a grunt he moved into a similar pose beside her. Charging up as they watched Soba slam his two balls of light together, causing the whirlpool to yet again reach up to him, before he finally loosened his fingers and push out both his palms together; unleashing his final attack.

" **Full…** " Chorona felt a rumble in the pit of her stomach as her and Cooler spoke in unison. " **…Power…** " The ground around them crumbled as a dark and twisted beam of destruction grew in size and strength the closer it got to them. " **…double…** " Together their palms let off a glow that flowed into one another, creating a link that bound the two's powers as they finally unleashed it " **…ENERGY WAVE!** " And with that final shout of resistance the two let loose their building power, their golden beams twisting around each other in a deadly dance as they collided with Soba's blast.

Neither of the two could see anything as their world became a filter of bright and intense power, the ground beneath their feet trembling as their bodies refused to buckle, the repetitive hum of their beams became the harmony of their struggles. Every bone in their body, every sense of comfort, everything screamed at them to give in, to give up and let death take them. But their eyes remained resolute in their defiance and they pushed on no matter that pain that clawed at them, Chorona's wounded side especially cried for release, but still they remained strong.

And to their great shock, the gold began to actually push back the sapphire, their efforts finally began to come through. This little fact, this little sprinkle of hope that they could win, it pushed them further to unleashed more of their excess ki into their attack, pouring every last drop they muster. Screams of determination joined as one ballad of triumph, another inch won and another ray that pushed them forward. They could do this. They could win. And finally, the blue hue seemed to drain away, it's size diminished as the golden glow took over and pushed it back towards Soba; a triumphant choir gushing in Chorona's mind. The two could only just make out Soba's form now, his aura fading from him like a diminishing flame, at the duo's energy beam marching forward Soba's arms parted in surprise, breaking his beam, and allowing himself to be drowned in a golden light. With all resistance knocked down, the beam carried Soba into the fog where his form soon disappeared into the abyss.

"We…We.." Chorona began, almost completely speechless as they relinquished their hold on the attack, the sudden loss of power allowing her wounds to finally catch up and force her to the ground. At least she kept her smile.

"WE DID IT!" Cooler's boisterous yell of victory got a giggle out of Chorona as he jumped into the air, staring at his bruised and batter hands, which now shook with pure adrenalin. "Nothing can stand in my way, NOTHING"

And that wasn't all, to their complete shock the sky above them began to experience a crack of its own. One that opened up to reveal, not another abyss of energy or another fighter, but a view of the clearing they had found the crystal in. Like a window into another world. It had to be the way back, it had to be. Immediately Cooler was racing upwards, mustering his remaining strength to fight against the gravity, take flight, and head directly into the crack.

Chorona, however, was met with a more tragic hand of bad luck. At this point, the whirlpool still grew in size, not deterred by the death of Soba. For Chorona, this meant she was currently lying on the ground, completely vulnerable, while the whirlpool began to swallow everything in sight. Including her. "Cooler! Help!" She tried to get to her feet, but as the whirlpool grew, so did its pull; which had now grown to such a strength that she could barely move.

What was worse was that she didn't get the response she wanted. Instead of an affirmation of help, she received a crooked laugh from the man above her as he looked down upon her situation. "I believe that this is where our partnership ends, Squirt."

"What?!"

"We had some good jabs, even fought an admittedly good fight. I'll admit it, I might have even had fun. So, if you survive this, maybe we can meet again and hunt for more oddities together" He chuckled darkly, shrugging with that smirk of his "And if you don't survive… Oh well, I'll pretend to cry at your funeral. Actually, no, scratch that. I'll be too busy to come to your funeral. Hell, WHO is going to throw you a funeral?"

"You cannot be serious, right now!" Chorona shouted back up, her voice cracking as the whirlpool's reach grew ever closer. "I thought we were partners!"

"Uh, uh, uh. Convenient Acquaintances, Piggy, who had a similar curiosity. And now that our curiosity is sated, I have no further need of you" With that he turned away from her with a mocking wave, heading up towards the sky. "Tata"

"You… You gave your word…" Chorona managed to roar out her distain toward Cooler's ascending form, actually managing to stop him in his tracks. "And an Arcosian always keeps their word, remember? Or did I just mis-judge you?" A bolt from the whirlpool reached out to strike at her, only just managing to miss her as she inched away, the ground around her almost completely gone. More bolts follow, each dragging away a section of the ground along with them, each strike got an inch closer to Chorona. Her heart sunk, her eyes shook and her lungs leapt up into her throat. Was she going to die here? _I'm sorry, Master… I should have known better... I probably wouldn't have made a god Supreme Kai of Time anyway._

With her fate determined, she closed her eyes and let her mind wonder into yelling at herself for her failures. It was as if she was already drowning before the whirlpool had reached her, her body giving up to the strong hold that now pulled at it. She felt the pull of the whirlpool weaken as she was lifted off the ground, as if she was being pulled away, her body feel more and more light. Was this what death felt like? Or was this drowning in that whirlpool?

"How can a woman so small weigh so much?" Her entire body jolted awake at Cooler's dry insult, the man grunting as he pulled her upwards, struggling against the whirlpool's pull. Her eyes widened a she realised his tail hand wrapped around her waist, hoisting the girl along with him in a kess damaging manner.

"You… You…"

"Shut up. And don't you dare start crying, or I WILL drop you like a sack of dead Namekians!" Cooler shot down at her along with a reluctant glare, pushing upwards and inching closer towards the sky. Chorona immediately slammed her mouth shut, but couldn't help but smile at averting her death…Drowning… Whatever. "And stop smirking, there is no joy here!" He snapped, the Whirlpool relinquishing it's hold and allowing him to shoot off into the sky, crashing through the 'window' and not looking back at the Whirlpool that had now swallowed the world beneath them.

And before they knew it, both had been spat out of the crack and back onto the familiar ground of Earth, Chorona landing on top of Cooler's chest as he landed on his back. Using him to break her fall once more. "YOU CAME BACK FOR ME!" She screamed with a loud laugh of relief, wrapping her fingers around Cooler's arm and chanting "I'm alive! I'm alive! I'M ALIVE!"

"Stop it!" Cooler protested, waving his arms in a vain attempt to loosen her grip. "You're getting your tears all over my arm! Get off!" But still she did not stop, even ignoring the searing pain in her left side as she giggled. "Oh, please tell me that's not drool- I SAID, GET OFF ME, YOU SCUM!" And with that yell he spared no time in pulling back his free hand and ramming it into Chorona's shoulder, sending her hurdling off to the side and into the dirt."Urg, this feels like the time Frieza's pet Gelitan tried to eat me…"

"Ow, what was that for?" Chorona's moan came as muffled as she spat out the chunks of dirt caught in her mouth after Cooler punched her.

Cooler merely growled back at her "Don't make me regret pulling you out of there, Squirt"

"You're suck a grump…" And so, she returned to pouting at him as she dusted herself off, moving her gaze to where they had popped out from. The crack was gone now, but the crystal still hung in the air, seemingly repaired. However, Chorona easily noticed how much weaker the crystal seemed now, there was little pull and the gravity seemed to have returned to normal. But how long would it stay that way?

 _Maybe some sealing magic would work…_

She gasped at the sudden voice, a smile reaching her lips once more _Master!_

 _I don't know what you did, but I have a clear view of you now and I don't like the look of that crystal. I doubt trying to destroy it would do any good, but perhaps sealing magic could help contain whatever it is inside the crystal in it's now weakened state._

"A-alright, I'll try that!" She yelled confidently aloud, resulting in a few strange glances from Cooler. "Hey, Cooler, you might want to stand back…" With a grunt in response, Chorona moved towards the crystal, rolling up her sleeves to give the image of someone who was about to conduct some serious business. She stopped in front of the crystal, which now gave a threatening hum in her presence, before taking a deep breath. She held out her hands, spread apart her feet and cleared her mind. Only leaving her memories of when she was taught sealing magic. It required a focused, calm and collected mind to perform.

"SEAL!" Like when she had healed Cooler, a green hue emitted from her palms, an emerald wave that pulsed over the crystal. This time, however, the pulse started to form two semi-circles, surrounding the crystal before coming together like a cracked egg. As they pushed against one another, they locked the crystal inside them, before all at once the green glow began to flow down into the crystal, melting together the cracks on the crystal's surface. Soon, the crystals began to fade, leaving just the crystal in the air, its surface clear and all the effects of its presence long gone.

"I did it, it worked" She exclaimed, starting a little victory dance of her own as the crystal dropped to the ground. However, this distraction allowed Cooler to easily walk up and catch the now obsolete crystal in his palm.

"What did you do?"

"Whatever was in that crystal got weaker when we killed those three Yardratians, so I was able to seal the distortions remaining power inside the crystal properly. Meaning, it should be destroying landscapes or sucking up people anymore…" Again, she allowed herself a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, before facing Cooler. "Thanks, I guess. You saved me back there" She smiled. _Maybe he isn't so bad after all, maybe I got him wrong. I mean, yeah, he's related to Frieza, and he acts like a giant jerk all the time, and he doesn't appreciate my good looks. But, maybe... Mayb-_

"Of course, I did. You owe me your life now. And if I am recalling correctly, a 'Kai always repays their debts'. I'm ecstatic t have you in my favour" Cooler shrugged with a smug grin returning to him.

"Oh, com- YOU COULD HAVE AT LEAST PRETENDED TO BE A GOOD GUY ABOUT IT!"

He rolled his eyes, lazily raising his finger to point out "What's the point in lying to someone who can read my mind like a book?"

"I already told you, I'm not gonna do that anymore! I, unlike you, have respect for people's privacy" She groaned, yelling at the man with her arms up in the air, waving like crazy to emphasize her point.

Cooler shrugged at her constant berating, merely writing her huffing off "No matter, when we meet again, I'll be sure to have found a way to combat your ability"

And so she puffed up her cheeks and yelled back "Meet again? As if, I hate you!"

"We will meet again, Squirt." His response was a simple statement, and to emphasize his statement he tossed the crystal back to her, a knowing smirk stretching his lips.

"Fine!" She stuttered out, unsure and surprise, she hadn't even noticed that he'd taken the crystal. "AND MY NAME'S CHORONA!" With no response, Cooler took off into the air, relived to be able to fly easily again; his flight soon taking him out of view.

 _Uh, so… Am I intruding here?_

Chorona groaned to herself, her Master's tone couldn't help but let his laughter and amusement leak into it.

 _I'll just wait for you to return to the Time Nest, shall I? Or do you wish for more time with your new friend?_

"WE'RE NOT FRIENDS!"


	16. Battle Strategies

Pan felt a curse word developing under her breath for the fourth time as she was yet again forced to come to a sudden stop, twisting on the back of her foot to transfer all her previous momentum into her turn, just avoiding the snapping jaws of the large creature in front of her; the dinosaur's eyes narrowing on its prey as it's teeth only managed to dig into the ground. The only thing stopping her from letting out such dirty language was the presence of her own mother some ways away on a makeshift platform on the rocks, who spectated Pan's desperate struggle alongside a grinning Trunks.

This only added more pressure to Pan's current training session, now she had another audience member to entertain with her talents. Plus, it probably wouldn't look good on Trunks part if Pan found herself eating dirt on what should have been a simple training exercise. And as Pan spotted the herd of snarling tigers dashing towards her, she had to remind herself to put 'simple' in mental quotation marks.

The exercise was a simple obstacle course. Pan had a set path throughout the canyon that twisted its way back up to the platform Trunks stood on, from here she could spot the path dipping into a rather deep and intimidating stretch of a gorge, where the path broke off into little spires standing amidst the drop. Rules were what made it a pain in the backside to complete, the focus of the session was dodging; so, no ki blasts, no flying, no touching the ground below the path and blood-thirsty animals hunting her down at every turn. It was no cake-walk, but Pan would never let that deter her. Well, she'd never admit to it deterring her.

Once more she broke out into a sprint, the weights starting to feel like a second skin against her arms as she pumped her limbs like a super-powered piston down the clear path. She couldn't go back towards the tigers, but the T-Rex was still slamming itself into the side of the path (Which now felt to the need to remind herself was like a bridge between two mountains, built from rocks). Looking further down the path just before it dips into the gorge, she could see that it faded into a mountain path, circling around the mountain, and continuing out of the other side.

"Hey, Rexy; wanna help a girl out?" She called over to the rampaging dinosaur, who merely responded with a roar as it charged her yet again. "Thanks, you're the best!" She lunged forward to avoid the beast's snout, which quite conveniently destroyed the path behind her and cut off the tiger herd from persuing her. Pan began to add a hop to her step, testing her acrobat skills, before looking to the gap between the two different sides of the path that circled the mountain. Where she shared a smile to herself.

From above up on the platform Trunks's eyes kept a firm lock on Pan as she pushed forward, taking a certain measure of amusement from watching the girl turn as red as her old shirt as she squirmed through the course. "She's doing better than last time" He commented aloud to Videl, keep his gaze fixed. "This is the first time she nailed the turn, all the other times she always made the same mistake of going too fast"

At this, Videl let out a chuckle as she pictured it in her mind. "So, she ended up flying off the road before she even had a chance to stop herself?"

"Yeah" A sigh followed, Trunks shaking his head at the display of Pan purposely allowing the T-Rex to get close so she could just jump out of the beast's reach just in time. _That cocky attitude will cost her._ "The key to dodging is timing. You have to know when to speed up and when to take it slow. Still, her progress is impressive"

"Well, I did teach her everything she knows" Videl spoke confidently with an idle look to her fingers, as if to emphasize a point of 'hand crafted' into her sentence. This only got a roll of his eyes from Trunks who, out of respect, decided to stay silent instead of treating Videl to a retort. As if on cue there was a scream of 'YOUCH' as the dinosaur's teeth skimmed Pan's behind and ripped off a piece of her training shorts, which made it Videl's turn to groan. "Except that. That was all Gohan" She quickly coughed out, Trunks stifling a laugh. "Why doesn't she just punch out the Rex? Can't she take that thing on with one hand tied behind her back?"

"The point of this exercise is to force Pan into a tense situation where she can't just easily fly out of harm's way, or punch her way through. When me and Gohan fought the androids, more times than I'd like to admit, we were forced to run and hide. Flying would get us spotted immediately, but on the ground, it was easier to get the drop on… Them" He stopped, his teeth clamping down on his lip as he tried to avoid the bitter memories. _It didn't help Gohan._ To compensate he turned his lips back to the grin he had beforehand as he quickly added "Besides, I told Pan that these animals were 'Super Powered Mutant Animals' that Gero had experimented on and released into the wild before he made the androids…"

"And she believed you?" Videl turned to Trunks to laugh, who would believe such a ridiculous statement.

Again, on cue came the scream. "Trunks! It bit me! AM I RADIOACTIVE NOW!?"

To which Videl yelled back "I don't know, Sweetheart. You look a bit melty, but that's been a problem for a few years now!" Videl's grin fell to a frown as Pan gave only the most unfriendly gesture in return before the response of karma was near instant as the dinosaur lunged in for another bite, encouraging Pan to speed up. "That is not appropriate!"

After offering a desperate expression that showed Pan didn't expect Videl to see her gesture, the girl set her eyes on the ever-nearing turn of the path, her gaze flickering to the T-rex to make sure her plan was still possible. The beast was quickly catching up with her subdued and weighed down speed. And as Trunks immediately noticed, this prompts her to slow down a bit, allowing the beast to get ever so much closer to her. _What is she planning?_

"Looks like her body is starting to give up" Videl shrugged, noticing the rather confused expression on Trunks's face. "We all have our breaking poin-"

Trunks cut through Videl's sentence with a dismissive wave of his hand. "No, she's up to something. She's teasing" He noted that Pan's face kept a wide smile and a self-assured stare, and as their training sessions had shown him, Pan was not one to stay bright when she thinks she's about to be beaten. And as Pan turned her head to nod at the rather ravenous T-Rex, Trunks could bet that the woman was giving her new friend a teasing wink.

Pan now ran side by side with the T-Rex, as if the hunt had suddenly turned into a race to the end of the path, the girl even offering another wave to the beast. In a moment that coaxed a giggle from Videl, Pan proceeded to lean over the side of the path, grinning and all, and press her cheek against the shaft of the T-Rex's snout so that it almost looked like she was eye-to-eye with him. _I don't know whether she's trying to hug him, or push him off…_ Only Pan would literally bump heads with a Dinosaur.

In response to Trunks sighing to himself, Videl piped up. "She always had a flair for the dramatic. That's Gohan's fault…"

"As long as no one at the tournament blames her behaviour on me" Trunks pulled his fingers up to massage his temples, wondering if this is what he'll be known for. Not for destroying Android 17 & 18, not for helping rebuild the world, but for the one who taught that girl who pulled down someone's trousers in a fight.

"What is she doing now?" Videl's sudden gasp of confusion prompted Trunks to pull away his fingers and return his gaze to the scene before him, where by now Pan had separated herself from the dinosaur, digging her heels into the ground in a couscous effort to bring herself to a stop. Behind her a noticeable whirl of grit and dirt was beginning to swirl around into a cloud of thick dust, all from the rough friction between Pan's heel and the ground; and conveniently all this dust trailed right in front of the poor dinosaur's eyes.

The dinosaur of course didn't take too kindly to the particles of dirt, the creature's large eyes turning red with pain and strain, unleashing a roar that could shake mountains. With the setting sun as the race's backdrop, the creature's teeth gleamed threateningly as it lunged forward with a snarl to snap at Pan. By this point her grinding had produced progress, her body finally coming to a complete halt in a twister of dust in her wake. Due to her sudden stop, the dinosaur's blind lunge went completely passed her and sent him ramming into the path, shortly disorientating the beast, and causing him to stumble towards the gap between the two paths.

Briefly, she took a moment to look back up to her spectators with a look of pure triumph, a cheeky smirk tugging at her lips. The dinosaur was in perfect place, his long and large body forming the perfect short cut to fill the gap, and now she noticed that the beast's back did kind of look like a rocky path. All she had to do was wink at the spectators, perform a stylish backflip onto the dinosaur, take a moment to acknowledge how cool she was and then she'd shave off the time in this obstacle course.

"Don't look away yet, folks. I'm not done ye-" But before she could finish her smug quip and cap off her plan, she found herself meeting her own dust cloud head on, as the ground took this opportunity to flood into her mouth, pinch her nose and burn her eyeballs. Still, her body was ahead of the game and flung itself into the game as her throat began to cough up a storm "Ack-Fudge Stick- Ack! I have this under con-" And upon her body falling back for the flip she caught another whiff of the cloud "I'M BLIND! I'M BL-Auuk!"

As her head came up from the second flip around she spotted a rather amused Trunks carrying Videl towards her, but this was only for a moment before her view shifted back to the dark scales of the dinosaur's back as it got closer and closer; all until she slammed face first into it. Through an aching nose and a squished upper lip, her muffled tone asked "Why does this crap always happen to me?" before she promptly slid off of the dinosaur and onto the ground beneath it. Out of bounds.

For the most part, Pan could say that she at least face defeat with dignity, but then again; she wasn't aware of the fact that her shorts were ripped to air her rear to the air as she frowned into the mud. The dinosaur leaned down to prod her with it's snout, unsure whether it's prey was dead or not. Pan simply replied to this with an aggressive groan. Which was returned with what Pan could only interpret as a snort at her expense from the creature. "Even Rex is laughing at me!"

"Videl is too. And I'm only JUST managing to hold it back" Trunks retorted as his feet touched the ground, dropping Videl off safely. "You'd be laughing too if you weren't too busy with your foot in your mouth, or dust" He offered up a hand which Pan begrudgingly took, before she turned to the dinosaur and shook her head threateningly.

"Not sure I'd expect any less from a Super T-Rex…" Before breaking out her fist into a wagging finger, warning the beast. "Next time, Rex! I don't care if you're radioactive, I'm kicking your tail to the curb" The only response she got was the dinosaur to breath on her heavily (Dowsing her with his saliva) before turning away and slinking off into the distance. "Truly, he is my greatest rival yet…"

"You have a way with wild life, Pan" Despite her complete and utter failure, Pan couldn't help but smile along with Trunks as he looked over to the mountain above them. "You got further than last time"

"Still fell over with my ass in the air…"

"You improved. That's what matters, Pan" He placed a hand on her shoulder, patting off the new layers of grim that matted her body. For a moment he squeezed her shoulder, allowing him to feel the muscle growth around her arm as she didn't even wince at his grip. "You'll go far in the Tournament next week"

When her lips curved to flash him a confident smile, a fire clearly burning in her eyes, Trunks felt like a relaxing force had pressed against his back. "I'll dominate this tournament for sure! I mean, if someone like you isn't entering, then it'll be a cake walk" The mention of someone comparing to him brought up the androids in his mind yet again, though for once the mere thought didn't weigh down heavily on his heart for the moment. Maybe that's why he agreed to train her in the first place when she was clearly doing fine on her own. In the past week her comedic failures, her ego-centric attitude, her strange habits, and her determination burned bright enough that his daunting thoughts to what Sixteen and Bulma could find melted away for a time. Allowed him to enjoy himself again.

Though, there was also just an endless amount of amusement to watching her screw up. But that didn't sound as heartfelt. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Pan. The World Tournament brings in its fair share of surprises. There could be fighters just as strong as you, and even those who aren't have tricks up their sleeves"

"Yeah, I know. I've heard it all" Pan retorted, tilting her head backwards as if she was reciting a text book. "Nam's Close Arm Dive technique, Bacterian's paralyzing stench, Giran's Merry-go-round gum" She brought her fist into her palm in realisation. "Oh! And Ranfam used her clothes to win by taking them off. Maybe I should try that; it would at least distract my opponent for a few moments"

"Absolutely not!" Videl screeched, causing a very red in the face Trunks to jump back at the very suggestion.

"Pan, please! I do not want anybody to think I taught you THAT"

"I could totally pull it off, I just need the right underwear-"

"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM!"

The unanimous scream brought Pan to tears in laughter, pointing at their exaggerated expressions. "You like something that's been left in the sun too long!"

Trunks's head fell to glare at the floor, refusing to let Pan get any further amusement from his embarrassment. "Pan… Just promise me that you won't strip in front of all those people in the World Tournament" He did not need that image in his head. He had enough problems keeping his hormones under control as it is. _Not the time, not the time. Pure thoughts..._

"You mean I should do it off stage, really shock the audience?"

"You know, the worst part is that I don't know if you're joking or not"

"Exactly." Pan giggle, patting Trunks on the head like there was some hidden context only Pan knew about. "Thanks for the training, does this mean we're done after the Tournament?"

"There's always more to learn, Pan. We'll train for as long as you're up for it" Trunks sighed, shaking his head. _This girl…_ "The tournament will serve as a good measuring tool for me. I'll be able to see just how terrible you're doing"

"And when I win the tournament, I'll make sure to finish it off with a Kamehameha" She proclaimed, shooting her fist into the air, gaining an odd look from Trunks.

"You can do that?"

"I've been watching old footage of Grampa. I think I got his technique down" As an example she let a ball of ki form in her hand, before sending it up to whiz and them. "And now that I have this down, I'm sure of it"

"Why not simply go to learn it from Master Roshi, you know where Kame House is…"

Pan proceeded to roll her eyes. "Duh, I can't just go and learn something from Master Roshi. YOU'RE my master, that'd be like spitting in your face. I couldn't betray you like that" She broke out into a smirk as she moved past Trunks, taking her mother's hand as the two prepared to take off. But just before she took off, she came to a sudden halt as an idea came to mind. To the utter amusement of Videl an the confusion of Trunks, Pan moved back overto the boy with a playful look racing her features as she got strangely closer to him.

"Pan?" He questioned, feeling his face heat up further as he aknoledged how much of his personal space she was violating. Their noses were almost touching, and that grin on her face didn't help ease his apprhension, nor did the fact that he suddenly found himself unable to move his gaze away from her. He was like a deer caught in head lights. Though, he didn't know whether this was out of fear of what Pan would do, or intruige in how this would play out for him. Only Pan could have that effect on him.

When her lips pressed against his cheek at first, he couldn't even register it since his focus was directed soley to her, not what she was doing. Bu tthe moment he realised that those surprisingly soft and plump lips had warmed his cheek, it hit him like a blt of lightning striking his flesh, sending a jumpstart to his heart in one fell swoop. He was pretty sure that if he wasn't half-Saiyan, she would of just electrocuted him to death with that action. Though, considering that he could feel his flesh rejoicing at the contact, did this make him a masochist. "W-what was that for?"

"For your face. It always looks so funny when I get too close, I think I'm starting to learn all your weakness's, Trunks" She leaned forward with a cheeky nod of her head, poking his chest playfully "You won't stand a chance when we fight for real!"

Trunks frowned "You can't just do that..."

"I just did" She laughed off, turning back to her grinning Mother with a shrug and a look of self-satisfaction. _Is THIS why I like her so?_ "I'll see you at the tournament, Trunks"

Regaing some shred of composure, Trunks attempted to respond cooly. "I'll give you your present then"

"Present?"

"Think of it as a good luck gift. Until then… I'll be cheering you on"


	17. Lost in Memories of Better Days

The wasteland was peaceful. Soft winds peeled off layers of grime from the foundation of rock and bone, built upon the corpses of the old world that had long since joined with the earth. The wind acted as desperate finger scraping away at their tombs, ripping into the earth for last grasp of life, but only pulling way to bring their harrowed screams across the land.

In retrospect, the waste land could be considered a scar on the planet, back when the only surface existed to drown under the grip of water and gas. As time went by, the corpses merged to form land, plan life evolved through the rot and the Earth continued to age, yet the wasteland stayed the same. It seemed to choke despite the seas long since departing from around it, as if it could stay within the days that had faded away. Like every scar, it's purpose was to remind, to warn, to keep the consequences in view. To reflect on the changes.

It was too familiar.

And yet again, the winds swept down to take a gander at the graveyard, where now a wolf had hobbled across the area with a deep wound leaving a trail of blood behind it. It's once soft grey fur now formed a rough and sticky surface as blood stained it's body, the memories of it's previous fight for food clearly inscribed on it's flesh. A howl of pain escaped it before it's front paws gave way, knees buckling and the weight of all it's injuries bringing the beast to the floor.

In the span of a minute, the wolf noticed the sun moving over to cast a curious glance towards it's predicament. Despite the intense gaze, the temperature seemed to drop, all the colours the creature had once found a curiosity in now dimmed, a numb sensation taking over. Even the wolf could feel that the end was coming.

But it didn't want to die, not yet. In defiance, the beast tried to raise it's paw again, scraping at the floor for some type of hold, something to help it to it's feet. But every time it thought it managed a grip, the texture beneath it's paw gave way. All while the wind pulled at the soon-to-be corpse. Soon, the grime's colour began to shift, the wolf's blood drawing an outline around it's body. But before long, the wind, with a dark chuckle, dragged a quilt of sand over the blood splatter.

 _A pathetic creature._

It was immediately noticeable that the sun's glare began to darken, a tall shadow sheltering the poor creature in it's final moments. It's eyes barely managed to muster up the energy to face the visitor, who's form now seemed to dwarf the sun to peeking beyond her shoulder. It didn't growl. It didn't yelp. It didn't cry. It looked indifferent, almost accepting. The wolf had given up.

And looking down at the wolf through a narrowed gaze, Torne let her frown become apparent before she slammed her foot into the Wolf's head. Not caring for the red stain that now stuck to her boots. "It didn't even glare." She noted with distain. "How worthless"

"It was a defenceless creature" Dashade landed beside her with a puff of sand swirling around his feet, his tail beating against the ground casually. A disapproving gaze thrown in the Saiyan's direction. "Unless it somehow made silent insults about your mother, killing the poor thing was pointless"

Torne offered a flippant shrug and a dismissive wave of her hand, her frown fading as she turned away. "It was an eyesore, so I made it more appealing. Red suits such a worm that would bow their head at the Grim Reaper" As she moved away the Arcosian shot the wolf a sympathetic look, be he turned to follow, his tail pushing sand over the corpse. "The strong thrive and weak fail to survive, and all that. Survival of your pride is the important part, because that is the only important part that lives on after you die. That creature had none, it was disgusting, I did this boring planet a favour in at least improving it's décor"

Dashade didn't really know why they continued to walk to their destination when they could easily take off into the sky, maybe this insignificant additional work in walking added something for Torne, or maybe it was because it gave her more time to torture his ear drums with her voice; either way, he didn't like it. Arcosian feet were not made for walking, they were made for grabbing. It didn't make it any better that he was unable to keep his tail up, resulting in an annoying rhythm to follow his every step as the tip hit the ground.

Looking over Torne's own attire, the Arcosian could only scoff as he retorted "Then how fitting you find yourself garbed in the colour of your distain. Or is the irony lost on your monkey brain?"

In response, he received another low chuckle from the woman, her hands spreading out to tug at her crimson garb. Like it was flesh she was tempted to peel off. "So, narrow minded, but what do I expect from a Lizard? Think of it as those metap-watzits you bean counters use to sound pretentious. I'm covered in red because all I see is red, all I hear is red, all I receive is red. Because all that I encounter is pathetic" Dashade then concluded that walking gave her a good work out lugging around that over-inflated ego. "No offence, Conehead. Your pathetic nature is the most fun I can have at the moment, at least… Until we face those two Saiyans…" He could practically hear her lick her lips at the prospect.

"Trust me, I'm very honoured" He did not smile.

"I am curious though, every member of our rag tag group of attention hounds is out to prove something. So…" The two moved up a hill, the peak of said hill offering them a good view of a small out of place cottage in the middle of wasteland. "What are you running from?" Dashade arrived beside her, his eyes closing in his moment of hesitation, it looked like he'd have to give the monkey some credit. "Don't tell me though, I like looking into the possibilities"

His eyes opened, an annoyed grunt let out in response. "There's the house…"

"Hmpf, I expected something more… Subtle"

"Are you ready?" The duo leaped down in front of the small structure the wind whipping past their ears. Everything about the place just screamed bad omens.

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Torne felt an idea coming to mind "I need a fruit…" As she spoke, the two raised their hands, a ball of magenta ki clashing against a ball of emerald. "…Then we can knock on the front door" Before the two unleashed their attack on the cottage.

* * *

Tunson wasn't what you'd call a small town, plenty of buildings all around spreading to an outline you couldn't see at first, and the amount of people walking by was nothing to turn your nose at (Though a few of said people weren't exactly people you want your nose pointed in the direction of). The smell the general folk was dominated by the rich aroma of fresh vegetable, plants and plenty of dirt mixed in with sweat, which Thirteen regarded as the smell of nature and a hard days work.

Something about the smell that tugged at his nose, something about the feeling of the rough and uneven ground shifting upon his every step, the abrasive and intrusive tune of the crowds. It was warm, and welcoming, and it wasn't the sun beating down on them; it was something familiar. Like that imprinted smile brought from a deep seated memory, that you only remembered a fraction of.

Thirteen wondered if he had been here before, there was a welcoming air he knew he hadn't encountered a long time. Was it back when he was first activated? That couldn't have been it, Gero never took Thirteen outside the lab, he hadn't been allowed. The android could remember that day clearly, he hadn't even been able to reach the outside world before he was labelled problematic and forced to shut down.

A human would of probably felt bitter about the whole experience, maybe developed a grudge, angry at being denied their rights for a simple flaw. But with one look at the sliver of silver that gleamed from his bruised flesh, Thirteen reminded himself that he wasn't human, any emotion was simply a simulation. "What do you two think?" He looked over to the other Androids, who compared to him, stuck out like sore thumbs in the crowd.

"It's alright" Fifthteen's eyes seemed slightly disgusted when he looked over the people. Maybe he was just annoyed that despite his bright yellow attire, dark purple skin and large green hat, no one took a second glance at him. "Loud though, and murky. Someone needs to spray some colour on this joint"

"And what about the big fella?"

The dwarf took one look at the long haired android, who gazed intently at the bird that had landed on his nose. "He likes the peace" 15 sat atop a make-shift wooden bench that was pressed up against a wall, pulling out his flask to start sipping on it again.

"Don't ya feel anything... Familiar about it?" The Trucker hesitated with his words, they sounded silly even to him. _I can't have been here before. Gero never let me out, which means dat there ain't any other time I could of come here._

"Man, everything looks the same down here" The response only kept 13 grinning. "Maybe there's a few houses, a few bales of hay, dog people; it's all still the same hill of crap" 13 felt like he was in his element here, and it was clear that the opposite was true for 15. "Why are we even hanging out in dis backwards hole?"

"Can't know simplicity, 15. We're just squatting here, taking in that sweet country air, looking for some fun" Thirteen reached over and grabbed a hold of the Android's oversized hat, pulling the dwarf up with a smirk "Gotta smell the corn while it lasts"

To this, 15 glared as the laughing Trucker carried the dwarf through the crowd, 14 following close behind. "You mean, before we're shut down again" Which made their tallest companion turn to look at the two with a down trodden expression, which for an android almost came off as a disgusted glare.

"Oh, don't start whining now" 13 groaned, before he offered an eye-roll at 15 yet again raising the flask to his lips.

"I ain't no one's fool. As soon as those time hopping hobos are done with us, that's it. Our time is up. When the beat drops, we won't be around to dance to it" With that the android punched 13's arm and wrenched himself out of the man's hold, stomping into an alleyway with a grunt.

A frown now weighing on his lips, Thirteen tore after the angry dwarf, spitting out "You're just determined to ruin this day for me, ain't ya?"

"I'm just putting things into perspective" Flask already in hand, 15 dipped his head back to pour the dark liquid down his metal throat.

"It's too early in the morning for your self-help book bullcrap. I have half a mind to-" Thirteen stopped to look back into the crowd, now noticing that their middle Android hadn't followed them into the alley. "Arg! Where did the muscle-welp go? I reckon he left during your hissy-fit" With that, Thirteen turned swiftly on his and took off into the crowd. "Wait here."

It wasn't really difficult to find Fourteen, unlike the short stature of Fifthteen, the other android was a towering figure whose white as snow skin and stature made him a quite the spectacle in the crowd. Thirteen spotted him not far away from the alley way, on the other side of the street where a line of food carts had lined up, which from here looked like boats fighting off a monstrous current.

"-an' dinosaur meat. Now, THAT'S where the flavour comes in. Just like Grandma made them" As he got closer, Thirteen could see a rather poor looking woman grinning up at Fourteen, with a smile that showed a few missing teeth as she attempted to sell her wares to the Android. "And all smothered in barbeque sauce. It's a sure fire way to set your taste buds ablaze!"

The android took in the meat, staring down at it and tilting his head. As if being introduced to an entirely new and confusing concept. "Taste Buds?"

"When my Grandpa was still kicking around, he'd swear his tounge was square dancing at the taste. And heavens knows that he stopped feeling anything on his tounge years ago!" Each word clearly sucked the Android in, especially the idea that even someone who couldn't taste anymore could still taste. It wouldn't affect his artificial stomach at all, but maybe, for a moment; he could...

"Fourteen!" A large hand clamped around Fourteen's arm, yanking the Android backwards to the surprise of the saleswoman. "Nice to see ya, Ma'am. We've got stuff to do, so say goodbye" He stated simply in quick succession, the woman's pure white hair falling over her eyes as she was left speechless to her customer being dragged away to a dark and foreboding alley.

Without hesitation, Thirteen threw the other android into the alley, the silent man hitting the cold floor with a crash; to which Fifthteen showed no reaction to as simply stared at his flask. "I told ya'll to stick with me, not go gallivanting off like a lost pups!"

"I just wanted to look at the food..." Fourteen admitted simply, not moving to get up from the floor due to the obvious anger in Thirteen's voice.

"And what the hell for!? Unless you need to pretend, you don't need to eat-" The man marched over and slapped the flask out of the Dwarf's hand. "-you don't need to drink. And you ain't gotta be bringing attention to ourselves!"

"You're the one yelling" Fifthteen lunged for his flask, only to receive a kick to his stomach from Thirteen.

"No back talk, Runt. What the hell's wrong with y'all?"

"I wanted to eat." Again, a simple statement from Fourteen. Who moved to sit and lock Thirteen with a hollow stare. "They eat. We can eat. So, I wanted to eat"

"You wanted to eat because the humans eat?" Thirteen almost sounded offended at the very idea, before turning back to the keeled over Fifthteen. "Is that why you keep drinking from that darn flask? Because you think it makes you human?" Before Fifthteen could respond, Thirteen placed his foot on top of the dwarf's head and pushed down. "Now, let me make this clear. Humans eat. Humans feel. Humans drink. You ain't human, and you ain't ever gonna be human! You're the most advanced tool of fire and brimstone ever to grace the Earth. We're Androids. We follow orders. It don't matter if we're shut off again at the end of it all, because we did our job like good little soldiers"

With that, Thirteen stopped grinding Fifthteen's head into the dirt, moving past him towards the other side of the alley. While the man's back was turned, Fourteen nudged the flask over to Fifthteen with his foot, allowing the dwarf to subtly hide away the flask in his coat.

"You're junk. You'll never be anything more. Remember that."


	18. A Deal with a Sinful Sorcerer!

The pained scream of agony escaped from Pui Pui's lips after Torne's punch connected with his stomach, forcing him to stumble back and keel over against the wall, the sheer force of the punch sending a crushing wave of pressure to squeeze his insides like they were about to pop. "L-lucky shot, Moron…" Red liquid trickled down the corner of his lips, a coughing fit tickling at the underside of his burning throat.

"Now see, that's the problem. I don't appreciate being so meagrely insulted by the lesser species" The Saiyan's voice was laced with a low expectation, a smug edge to her smirk as she held up one hand and moved her fingers back and forth in a taunting motion. "If you can't cut me with your fists, at least hurt me with your words; otherwise you just look pathetic"

"Don't let your arrogance blind you, or it will lead to your death!" The alien spat out in response, disappearing from view for a split second before reappearing before Torne, not even one moment of hesitation before he launched into an all-out assault on the woman. Punches as fast as lightning shooting out in a visual barrage, but despite the amazing speed of Pui Pui's punches Torne body moved in a quick and unified movement to easily avoid each and every one of the punches, like water flowing around an object. Her smile never left, her flexible way of dodging make her almost resemble a pale snake, her 'fangs' already bare and waiting to dig into their prey.

"Oh, please, is this all? I haven't been this disappointed by a fight since the Yardratians wanted to end a conflict peacefully" Her body gracefully swung itself around, stepping to Pui's side, before it launched a hand up to drive two of her fingers into the wrist of one of his hands mid-punch. "Can you transform the room into your planet again? Because that was the closest thing you had to fun."

His eyes widened at the ease in which Torne stopped his fist, before devolving into a narrow glare that ripped a growl of rage from his throat. "Enough!" The fighter jumped away from Torne through a flip, landing adjacent to her with a full glare, bringing up his hands as a violet aura consumed them. **"STEADY BARRAGE!"** Before unleashing a continuous stream of bullet-like purple blasts upon Torne, an attack which neither seemed to phase Torne or Dashade, who stood to the side of the room with an expectant expression from his spectator's seat. "I'll show you just what I'm made of!"

With the grace of a dancer Torne's body weaved through the storm of ki blasts, her creaking of her bones audible as she bent her limbs to dodge; adding to her snake-like appearance. "That's simple…" She broke into a sprint, throwing herself into a forward flip over Pui's blasts (Leading to a roll of his eyes from Dashade as the blasts just barely missed his head), ramming her fist into the fighter's throat; knocking the wind out of him before she pulled back to open her hand and grab his throat with an iron grip. "You're made of bones that break, and blood that spills" Her voice had lowered to a deadly whisper, squeezing Pui's throat hard enough to make his eyes pop. And with another dark chuckle she picked up the man by the throat, threw herself backwards and slammed him into the ground.

She had raised her free hand to deliver a killing blow, Pui's choking groans like music to her ears, but Dashade dark green fingers caught her fist before she had a chance. Dashade's voice was expectant and simple "We're here for business, not pleasure. There will be no killing. Yet" Before his fingers slipped away and he turned to the rest of the room, Torne scoffing at the man's request; before hesitantly letting go of Pui Pui.

"I'm starting to think you bring me out on these missions just to tease my bloodlust" She got to her feet, her tail unravelling from her hips to lie at a disappointed down angel.

Dashade seemed to ignore her. "I know you saw our little display, Babidi. Rest assured, we do not come to hinder or harm you. We only wish to offer you aid, if you'll only come greet us, face-to-face"

The Saiyan kicked Pui (Who was in the middle of a coughing fit) to the side before she walked to stand beside Dashade, wondering if the Arcosian even knew where he was supposed to be looking. With a furrowed brow, she whispered to him "Not that I didn't enjoy breaking that one. But, if we weren't looking for a fight, why did we attack first?"

He tilted his head slightly to cast a glance at her, but still awaited Babidi's response. "It is better for us in the long run to establish how much of a possible threat we are to Babidi, otherwise he might grow to arrogant and do something he'll regret. We need him alive, unfortunately"

When an echoing voice cut in, neither of the two could tell where it was coming from, it felt both far away and too close for comfort. Torne chalked it up to 'magic' and moved on. "Aid me? Bah, you blew up my front entrance!"

Torne shrugged. "We were knocking, like polite neighbours; welcoming you to this dirt pile"

"That Supreme Kai must have sent you, he's the only other person who knows of my operations. Too much of a coward to come himself? Bah! I hope he has a strong stomach, because I'm going to send you home to him in pieces! Give me one reason to trust you."

"Torne."

The Saiyan nodded and reached around to grab the odd smelling sack strapped to her back. "You're gonna love this" The bottom of the sack was dark and damp, giving it an ominous and foreboding aura about it.

"What is it? I'm not hungry!"

"An offering" Dashade responded curtly, Torne letting the sack drop to the floor, spilling its contents out for all to see. And what he saw made Babidi's heart stop for a moment, as out of the bag rolled out the severed head of his arch enemy; the Supreme Kai. While some features of the head were unrecognisable (Due to the head seemingly being squeezed by something), Babidi couldn't deny the likeness to Shin.

"Is that… Really the Supreme Kai?" There was a moment of silence as Babidi debated with himself, before a bout of joyous laughter could be heard. "Oh, it is. YES, IT IS! I feel like dancing, singing; HE'S DEAD. THE KAI IS DEAD! Now, nothing can stand in the way of Majin Buu's resurrection"

"I take it you accept the offering?"

There was a commotion in the ship for a moment, the small circle in the center now opening up with ease. "Oh, yes. I LOVE it. Please, come and sit with me! Pui Pui, get up and grab that head; I want it on a pike!" There was a sarcastic groan from the man on the floor, clutching his throat. "Now! Don't be lazy"

Dashade looked to Torne with a raised brow, she only shrugged in response before turning to the now open hatch, experiencing no hesitation before she jumped down. "It would be rude to keep him waiting" The Arcosian soon followed.

The two found themselves falling for a short while, Torne fighting off a bored expression while Dashade attempted to keep an unbreaking mask of calm; both knew full well that they could have just jumped into a trap. But both were also confident that Babidi and Dabura posed no threat to them.

Upon reaching the bottom of the shaft the two experienced a graceful landing, Dashade with his hands frozen behind his back in a regal manner while Torne was still cracking her knuckles in what she hopes was a threatening way. The first thing to notice about the room was the lack of light, the only source of vision coming from the purple hue radiating from the orb where Babidi stood, stroking his… Whiskers?

Dashade's eyes instantly landed on the red skinned devil that stood between the two and the sorcerer; Dabura, King of the Demon Realm. A stone-cold glare of pure menace locked onto the two, a gloved hand at the ready to unsheathe his blade. Casting a glance to see Torne's aggressive look in response to the glare, Dashade hoped that the Saiyan remembered that no matter her power, Dabura's spit could cut her life short.

"Hmmm, what do we have here…" Babidi spoke with an edge of mischief, like a witch trying to decide what animal to turn her victim into, his beady eyes looking closely at the two. "An Arcosian and a Saiyan. How quaint." Torne didn't like Babidi's expression, it dripped with a certain calmness, one that showed he was quite confident that Dabura would have no problem wiping the floor with them. How hard it was to fight against the urge to prove him wrong. "And you wish to aid in Majin Buu's Resurrection? For what end?"

"Your enemy was the Supreme Kai." Dashade stated, to which Babidi nodded in response.

"Yes, a pain in my backside"

"Now, imagine others, many others, just like him. Gods, who feel untouchable, who go unchallenged" He took a step forward, the red skinned devil visibly tensing at the action, though Babidi didn't seem to mind. "We want to challenge them. And for that we need your monster, and of course his master"

The sorcerer scoffed at this. "You take me for a desperate fool. You come here, break down my front door, nearly kill one of my minions and now you think waxing poetic will convince me to trust two random strangers?" A cackle followed, along with another stroke of his whiskers. "Who put you up to this, because he clearl-"

With a sigh of annoyance and a shrug of his shoulders, Dashade momentarily disappeared and in a flash of speed seemed to reappear besides Babidi, two fingers pressed against the creature's throat before Babidi could even register that Dashade was gone. "Someone who has witnessed your fate…" He increased the pressure of his fingers, it was clear that with one small flick Dashade could drive his fingers into Babidi's spinal chord.

Upon realising what Dashade was doing, Dabura unsheathed his blade and lunged forward to cut Dashade, but only found himself forced to a screeching throat, Torne's brown tipped boot drilling into the back of Dabura's leg; forcing the demon to kneel while she grabbed a hold of his curved sword with one hand. From this position, she easily kept Dabura down, nodding for Dashade to continue. "One who has seen your failure."

"D-Dabura! Stop messing around and stop this maniac!" Babidi blurted out in desperation, only quieting down after the pressure increased and it was made clear that Dabura was not coming to his rescue. With a grimace, Babidi said "Of course, I only mean 'Maniac' in the most flattering of ways. P-please, tell me more of your ambitions!"

"You need not worry, Sir." The Arcosian's voice remained calm and collected, neither optimistic nor threatening. "We only want you to accept our assistance in making sure all goes well, because your success is very important to us. But… If you still wish to continue to hinder your progress…"

Dashade reached into his pouch with his free hand, casually pulling out a bright green fruit which he held up to his inquisitive gaze for a moment, before tossing it to Torne who caught it with ease; her hand instantly crushing the fruit with an audible 'squelch'. Her grin stretching from ear-to-ear and she released her fist, allowing Babidi a full view of the green stain on her glove. "Then, however my associate acts… That is simply your choice"

With that, Dashade pushed his fingers away (Leading to Babidi gasping out for breath he didn't even know he was holding), his arms returning to their usual position behind his back. "Come, Torne. Let us give our friend here time to think things through" He drops a scouter next to Babidi, the message simple.

Torne let out a dark chuckle at the scene, taking in the expression of broken nerves dripping from Babidi. _And here I was worried that the Lizard had no guts. Good to see he's not a complete pushover._ Sending her captive, a grunt, she shoved the demon down to the ground, kicking away the sword for good measure. Dashade made his way past her, patiently waiting for her to keep up with him.

* * *

The room was large enough, curved into a stylish circle with clean pink metal lining the walls around the few windows there were; allowing a clear view into the room from above. Though, to say the least, the room was definitely murky, a red tinge added to the atmosphere as the violent fumes of science were produced by the experiments being done on the ground.

Strewn throughout the room were plenty of lab equipment, turned over tables, computer consoles and monitors, the incubating tubes that held the various subjects. Descending from the wall, lowered by vine-like wires, was a large set of metal pincers, suspended above a small platform that was held up by an assortment of mini-cubes.

"Yahehehe!" The cackle bounced off of the walls of the room, lost in the build up of noise from the machines within the room. The monitors were beeping, the ship's engine was growling and a wheezing noise broke through in a steady rhythm with every step from the cackling man. "Boil and trouble, foil and crumble" He stood at a short height, crimson skin that stretched a pudgy stature, cheeks stretched into a cartoonish smile. A yellow cap hanging off one ear, just above the red tipped shades that rested atop a large crimson nose. "When the specimen toils, better crank up the heat on the double. YAHEHEHE!" Around his throat the pink smoke wrapped around him like a scarf, the rest of the bright yellow outfit standing out in the pink room, as well as his floppy shoes that let loose plenty of air like an open balloon with each step.

His small legs worked like a piston, moving backwards and forwards at such a speed that they appeared as a blue that carried the large creature; though despite this, he still seemed to move rather slowly as he made his way to an incubator with a syringe in hand. "Oh, if only mother could see me now! With my own litter of abominations against nature. I can just think of her pure smile, her loving eyes..." For a moment the thin line that formed his lips curved at a loving memory, before immediately falling along with his eyes becoming completely black. "But her simple and empty mind would never understand the pure beauty and grace of my great work! OH, JUST THE THOUGHT OF THAT PIG MAKES ME SO MAD!"

The sharp point of the syringe charged forward in a jabbing motion, the man growling before his skipping came to a stop in front of the incubator, his mood returning to a wide smile with little transition or warning. "Don't you worry, my precious specimen. You'll make all of them sweat with envy, and those repugnant FILFTH will squirm like... LIKE PIGS, before the genius of DR. SLUDGE!" He raised the syringe and plugged it into a small port in the side, the needle allowed into the incubator so it could poke at the small fetus-like creature within.

After injecting an orange liquid into the specimen, Sludge felt anticipation pull at his eyes, not even noticing that he was breathing heavily on the glass. And then his face fell, as to his great disappointment the specimen began to convulse, the green liquid around it bubbling; all before the creature flesh eroded, dissolving before Sludge's very tear-filled eyes. "THE GREAT DOCTOR SLUDGE... needs to hide his great shame!"

When a series of high pitched beeps from the adjacent console cut through the crimson man's tears, his lips forming a thin line one more. "Well... At least the evidence cleaned itself up. ASIDE FROM THE EVIDENCE LEFT IN MY HEART!" For emphasis he slammed the brunt of his fist against the orange heart design in the center of his chest plate, before skipping over to the beeping console. "Oh well… It seems Dashade and Torne make their triumphant return; at least their primitive antics can always elevate my mood"

"Your experiments are pointless in the end" A deep and gruff voice echoed from the terminal, thick with self-assurance. "Flesh is trivial matter on it's own, that's why I discarded my shell for an artificial frame' the possiabilities were endless" The voice itself seemed to have a hypnotic effect on Sludge, his smile widening at just the sound.

He reached the console, leaning over it type away at the screen, pulling up images of various sections of the ship. Torne and Dashade were already on their way. "Oh? Not to question the genius of a fellow scientist, but wasn't your greatest creation organic?" In another window the camera gave view to a room that was built like one big dance floor (The floor a checkered rainbow), where the smouldering remains of androids formed a pile in the center, their eyes blank.

A thin figure sat atop the pile, a dark purple hat obscuring most of it's features as it nodded it's head; a boom box perched on it's shoulders. A single claw came up, pushing against the rim of the hat, letting the camera get a good view of the gleam that came from the large array of sharp teeth. _Hm, it seems that Treble is making short work of his training regime._

"Bio-mechnical. Completely different field." The voice snapped back.

"Well, I can't argue with a great mind such as yourself" If it were possible, Sludge's eyes would have formed stars, giggling to himself in sheer joy. "I still can't believe I'm here, talking to you; it's like a dream come true!"

"So, you've said… Seventy times… For the last month…" The voice did enjoy get praised for his work, but this red blob was pushing it. The creature was lucky he was a beyond competent scientist.

"I merely want to make sure that you know how lucky we are that Torne found you among the wreckage. I'd have never been able to upgrade and reprogram those three androids without your valuable insight" He let out a sigh of joy, twirling the barbels on his cheeks. "Why, without your aid, I'd just have ended up turning them into scrap metal after some miscreant had already stolen all of your blueprints"

Dr. Gero was silent as he mulled over this information. He knew who had stolen his data, it was the same half-blooded savage that destroyed his ultimate creation, who then went on to erase every trace of the Doctor's great work. Yes, even after the Artificial Twins went rouge and cut down their creator, Gero never died. His ambition, his desire, his drive, and rage placed him above the concept of death. While he may have discarded his physical form, and while he may only be a contingency backup of the original Gero's mind in A.I form, he would have his revenge on this wretched planet. _My revenge on_ _Son Goku was taken from me, as well as my revenge on those treacherous brats… But I can at least have my revenge against the bastard child of the Saiyan Prince that took away my ultimate creation._

"Some people just don't have any respect for us scientists. THEY JUST CAN'T ACCEPT OUR GENIUS! It makes me so sad, YET IT ALSO FILLS ME WITH RAGE, and they still have the gall to call us crazy" The texture of Sludge's skin began to redden. "It all just makes me…" His muscles began to expand, his form growing bigger as the red tone became deeper with the rising temperature. "…Want to…" The smoke began to circle around him, the room being drained of it light pink hue. "…EXPLOAD!" And so, he did. The climax of his rage ending in his body being torn apart in a flashy explosion of ki and smoke, forcing back any type of equipment that wasn't nailed down.

"Ah, Dr Sl-" Dashade had little to no chance of finishing his greet, as he entered the room only to run face first into a piece of the good doctor's flesh, stopping it's journey through the air to hang off his left ear. For a moment, the Arcosian was left in silence, desperately clinging to his composure. But soon, he simply let out a sigh "…Not again…"

As if on cue of Dashade ripping the piece off of his head, the smoke in the room seemed to suddenly come to life, rising from the ground and pooling into the centre of the room like a flowing river. At the centre the 'river' seemed to morph into a tornado of crimson air, swirling at an increasingly quick pace. Each rush of air creating a strong gust that slammed into everything in the room, pushing anyone close back, though throughout the whole experience neither Torne nor Dashade seemed more than slightly annoyed about the whole series of events.

Even when the smoke began to contort into a thick red mould, like a large lump of clay, neither batted an eye and simply waited for this bazaar outcome to play out. Not a single exclamation of 'What the?' was uttered as the clay faded into crimson flesh, or when the mould took on the shape of the late doctor. Really, when a rejuvenated Dr. Sludge stood before them the only question they had on their mind was 'How did he get his clothes back?'.

"Ah! Dashade, Torne, you've returned! I'm overflowing with joy and passion" The familiar squelch of his shoes returned as the plump man skipped forward to bow before the two. "How did the meeting go?"

"Quick and to the point. Nothing a good explosion couldn't handle" Torne answered for Dashade, pounding her fist into her open palm with a smirk. "The shrivelled-up prune got the message, up to him if he wants to comply or not" For emphasis she formed a fist with her stained hand, squeezing a green substance out over the rest of her hand.

"With the Buu angle covered, the plan should be smooth sailing from here on out, as long as we don't bring any unnecessary attention to ourselves" Dashade made his way past Sludge to face the blinking light on the console that represented Gero. "Even then, I doubt that Earth can throw at us anything we can't handle"

"The son of the Prince." Gero stated plainly, his voice laced with bitterness.

"Is one man, who is none the wiser and will be powerless against our numbers"

The A.I grew silent for a moment, as if it was trying to stare down the Arcosian, before chuckling. A chuckle put Dashade on the edge. "They always think that, as did I. But a word from the wise, Arcosian; Never underestimate a warrior of the Earth"

"Miss Torne!" Behind them Sludge had bounced his way up to Torne with his eyes wide. "Ah, Miss. Will you be requiring your medicine today?" He said much louder than Torne was comfortable with. "You're looking a tad paler than usual, maybe it's acting up against; perhaps a medical examinati-"

A green stained glove shot forward in an instant and grabbed a hold of Sludge's whisker, pulling the man closer to Torne as her heated glare burned into his retina. "Listen here, Doc…" Her finger coiled the face-tentacle around her finger, tightly. "…I'm perfectly healthy. So, until I say otherwise, I don't need any medicine" Her other hand gripped his chest, slowly digging her fingers into his flesh. "Until I say otherwise, you don't ask me about my medicine. And you don't talk about my medicine anywhere near the others. Got that?" Her fingers pushed in so far that he could feel her fingertips press against his heart, threatening to tighten around the organ and squeeze the life out of him. "Because if you don't, I'll take these ugly little face-tentacles here, and wrap them around your neck. Okay?"

"O-of course, Miss!" The Doctor spluttered, trying to keep up his smile as Torne's hands pulled away. In return she took broke out into a smile, ripping a boisterous laugh from her throat, before she gave him a 'friendly' slap on the back (One that nearly knocked him over).

"Now, go and play with your toys"


	19. When we were Young and Stupid

Like a tortured soul trying to break free of it's cage, the house shook with a mighty groan from the floor boards, rumbling in response to what Videl could only describe as a ferocious roar. It reminded her of that day in her youth when her friends had somehow roped her into sneaking up on a sleeping T-Rex, a memory that remained fresh in her mind and brought a small smile to her face.

When she ran her hand along the dust clad wall, she found the old oak wood twisting in texture to form the rough indent on the top of the rock she peeked around to get a good look at the beast. Beneath her feet, the particles of the dirt trembled with ever snore from the slumbering dinosaur. As her eyes took in its intimidating form, it's lips parted to reveal a sharp row of teeth that'd rip through her like she was cheese, prompting her head to turn towards the rocket launcher that lay against the rock.

 _This is stupid._ She thought, scowling at her trembling hand as her fellow morons waited out of view, probably questioning their life choices as well. But with that thought her stomach chimed in to comment on how delicious that dinosaur's tail would look over an open fire. The closest city was in utter ruin after the latest Android attack, and Videl just couldn't force herself to scavenge through the ruins (In what she would say was the equivalent of grave robbing) only to scrounge up rotten food that would only further burn her stomach. She needed meat. Fresh, cooked, and without an insect egg wrapped in dirt at the centre.

Videl still didn't understand why SHE volunteered to be the one closest to the thing, handling a highly explosive weapon she'd never used before, and that's only the worst of it if the beast doesn't wake up and decide to sate its appetite. _Dad would have volunteered._ The image of her late father came to mind, his smile so vivid and far away now. "He wouldn't even need the gun… He'd walk up to that dinosaur and turn it into a corpse with one punch"

Suddenly, looking at the rocket launcher stirred a strange layer of disgust within her stomach, the very sight of the weapon making her feel self-couscous. There was a need, a need to prove something, to prove something wrong. A need that pushed down every part of her mind that screamed that her next action would be insanely stupid. _I don't need a gun! I'm Videl Satan, and that thing is gonna be my dinner!_

With any sense of logic thrown to the wind, Videl launched herself over the rock, leaving the rocket launch abandoned on the dirt. Before any of her friends could yell out their warnings and cries of 'What is wrong with you!?', Videl's legs had already brought her too close to the slumbering animal, her lungs exploding to deliver a desperate battle cry. "Hey, you three-toed, overgrown Lizard! WAKE UP, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!"

It was certainly loud enough to pull the T-Rex from it's sleep, eyelid big enough to form a tent pulled back to reveal a pair of large and confused eyes. Still not deterred, Videl followed up her cry with her best attempt as an endless roar, her legs pumping overtime into her strides to take her to just in front of her 'opponent's snout. The woman pulled back her curled fist, throwing all her passion and puberty-fuelled anger behind the punch, her eyes stitched shut as the fist propelled itself forward.

In that moment, all she could feel was the grinding of her teeth again her lips and the rough particles of dirt digging into her heel. All she could hear were the stifled gasps from her friends as they watched what they assumed to be a gory scene. And in the next moment, she felt her fist make contact with the Dinosaur's iron hide. And holy cow, did it hurt like hell.

Pain shot up her arm, a sharp pain of torn muscles and then a numbness followed by an audible snap. Oh, that's definitely a broken bone. Her legs brought her backward in an awkward stumble as the dinosaur rose to its feet with a rage-filled growl escaping it's lips. Right now, she could imagine a person representing common sense standing beside her, hands on their hips asking 'Well, that didn't work did it, dumbass?'

Now that her pride and teenage stupidity had died down for the moment, all Videl thought was _Rocket Launcher. Rocket Launcher. Dead T-Rex's lover Rocker Launchers!_ Her hand reached to grab her broken limb to stop it from uselessly flailing about, pushing off her pivoting foot and breaking out into a full on mortified sprint back to her weapon. Behind her the angry beast let out a ferocious roar.

But as she let her legs carry her with all the speed she could muster, she swore she heard a new sound enter her ear. A soft swoosh cutting through the air behind her, one that immediately cut off the beast's roar as well as slam into her back, sending her hurling forward into her destination. With her face in the dirt, she heard it again, but the sound was much sharper this time, slamming into something solid and strong.

She didn't have time for that though, her hands had already found themselves brushing up against the rocket launcher. With no hesitation, she strengthened her grip around the weapon and whipped back around to face the beast, dragging the gun in front of her with a finger on the trigger; primed and ready. "Take this you-" Her finger pulled the trigger before her voice stopped, and before she caught sight of the teenager that stood atop a dead T-Rex.

Looking back on it now, Videl realised that it wasn't the most ideal way to meet your future husband. But, there was no hard feelings. He even taught her how to punch a dinosaur right after the rocket exploded in his face.

The final memory of Gohan's bright young face brought her back to the present day, the crumbling house slowly materialising around her. Reminding her that she had a mission, possibly even more dangerous than punching a T-Rex; waking up a half-Saiyan woman.

Videl pushed through the creaking doors with no concern for the volume of their creaking, as she had learned long ago that Saiyans were heavy sleepers. Inside her daughter's room she was faced with beams of daylight from the mid-day sun trickling through the window drapes. Though a much brighter hue enveloped the room from Pan's nightlight, illuminating just how untidy the room was.

Packets of unidentifiable food products littered the ground. Videl had already found a rather disgusting looking week-old toast sandwich under her feet upon entering, resulting in only a roll of her eyes as she hopped over towards the small bed where a feminine form laid. The covers had been kicked off the bed hours before by the girl, leaving her curled up in her slacks and a bra; revealing the cold droplets of sweat decorating her skin. And to Videl comedic surprise, Pan's thumb was firmly pressed into her mouth.

 _Ah, it's so cute… I'm never going to let her live this down. If only I had a camera._ Videl shook her head, now standing over the girl, stopping to think on just how she's wake her up. It was delicate process waking up a being who could bend you like a twig. One wrong move and Pan might turn Videl into a pancake by accident, purely on the shock of being woken up. If it wasn't for the night light, Pan would still be shredding her bed because of the nightmares.

So, of course, Videl decided that the best course of action would be to slam her soggy foot down on Pan's chest.

"ACK! No, Mom, it's not what it- Ow!" Pan's yell first came out muffled, before shortly being cut off as she accidentally bit into her thumb, immediately drawing blood. At first, she looked as if she'd been caught committing an atrocious sin, but when her eyes faced an expectant look from her mother, her face fell. "Oh, you. I hope you know that counts as child abuse…"

"Don't be a baby. You barely felt it" The mother chuckled, walking over to the other side of the bed to shut off the nightlight, before moving to open the drapes fully. "Can't say the same about your poor little thumb… I didn't know you still sucked you thumb"

"I-I wasn't- I didn't do it like I was still a child! I was just having a dream…" A pout already front and center on the girl's lips. Prompting a raised eyebrow from Videl.

"A dream?... About what?" She was almost afraid of what Pan could answer.

"Meat. Sausages specifically. There was this big one, which I think meant it was the best one, but I didn't want to bite straight away; I wanted to savour it. 'Cus you don't waste good meat" Well, that was a relief. "Which reminds me… Time for some meat!"

"We're out of food. That's why I woke you up" Within a flash, Videl had hurled a random shirt as her daughter. "You're going grocery shopping with me"

"You can't just order me around, Mom. I'm over twenty years-old. I'm an adult!"

"I can order you around until you move out of the house. Until then, you're still the little baby who still needs her nightlight" To emphasize the snappy insult, Videl proceeded to pat Pan on the head like you would a child.

"But it's EAAAAAARLY"

"Honey, it's four in the afternoon"

"That's even earlier! Like, eight hours earlier than mid-night" Without a word Videl turned and walked out of the room, waving at Pan.

"I want you down stairs in five minutes!"

"...That's right, you better run" She muttered


	20. The Sins of the Father

"Z'is is it!" Salza proclaimed with the righteous vigour of a religious fanatic, his gloved hand just above his brow to shield him from the glare of the mid-day sun (From his time on this planet, Salza had learned that the sun and moons that orbit the Earth are rather moody no matter what time of day it is), his other hand out stretched to point at the quaint little country side town below the slop of the mountain.

Behind the 'valiant' leader his fellow squadron members were not as enthusiastic, Dorne laid down sprawled out on top of the lush grass. His chest moving up and down slowly, only allowing him to puff out. "You said that… For the last three towns we crossed…"

Salza waved his hand dismissively as his comrade, before thumping his fist against his chest. "Ah, but z'is time, I know it to be true! I can v'eel it deep down in my core"

"You sure you ain't just got indigestion? You never had a strong stomach for spicy foods"

At the comment, the soldier swung to face Dorne with an annoyed frown. "Ack! I've told you a million times, zat incident on Dian Seven was a fluke. My stomach is forged from iron- STEEL even!" In his turn Dorne found a chance to shake his head again at Salza's face. Where there had been blue-tinged skin like melted ice, there was layers upon layers of makeup and dirt used to make the man's skin look darker. The final product was an image that Dorne would call both hilarious and disturbing. "No, my empty-headed swine. It is my soul crying out in a victory chorus, singing to me of our success! How this town will be the one z'hat holds the information that will be worth bringing before the feet of our great Emperor"

Dorne groans "It's been days…" Before rolling his eyes and looking away from Salza's mud smeared skin. "Urg, do you have to look like that? It takes away the only thing people remember about you. You look like a bloody muppet"

The man crossed his arms, frowning "It's a disguise!"

"A muppet disguise." Dorne replied bluntly. Though, to be fair, it wasn't as bad as when Salza tried to add an old hat to the disguise, only for his hair to send the article of clothing flying. Those blonde locks were stiff enough to be used as weapons. "I don't see why we don't just walk in there and bash a few heads in"

At this, Salza could only let out a scoff worthy of a supreme snob. "Z'hat is why you are the subordinate, and I am z'e leader. V'e are not mere brutes who thrash around the mud like rabid dogs. V'e are z'e elite! To not treat our mission with elegance and class, to lower ourselves as mindless animals in the heat of blood lust. It would be spitting on the great name of our Emperor"

By this point, Dore had completely tuned out Salza, instead looking over to where their third comrade had walked off to… Change. "Ey, Neiz! How long is this gonna take? What, are ya braiding your hair back there or something?"

The high-pitched squeal that was Neiz's voice barked back with an angry wave of his arm. "Don't rush me! These Earthlings must be masochists, their clothes are so… Tight fitting"

"'Course they are. I don't think Earthlings make clothes for your size"

"Are you saying I'm fat!?"

Dore shrugged and fell back down to lie on top of the grass "I'm just saying, you always wonder why people shoot at you first. Might be because you're the biggest target, Mate" He said before chuckling.

He saw Salza move from the slope to join in on the conversation, taking a moment to peel back his hair 'to perfection'. "Z'e green toad has a point. Perhaps you should break z'e habit of gorging on our fallen foes"

Only hearing agreement, Dore nodded in response. "Yep…" Though after a few seconds the rest of the sentence settled in, prompting the red-hot anger to rise to Dore's chin (A natural occurrence for his species) as he jumped up. "Wait, WHO YOU CALLIN' A TOAD, PRETTY BOY?"

The man simply shrugged with a roll of his eyes, nonchalantly saying "Z'ou are green, bloated, bulgy-eyed and are only good at 800 degrees served on a silver platter. Z'ou are a toad." With that, Salza snapped his finger like he just got an idea, slamming his fist into his palm. "I know, v'e should get you a girl to kiss you, z'hen z'ou would at least have royalty to compensate for z'our less z'han stellar looks. Preferably a blind girl"

The green ex-wrestler jumped to his feet with a loud thud, his impressive chin steaming up. "Alright, that's it, Laddey. I'm gonna bend you like a Glorbian tooth pick!" He said as he stormed over to Salza, cracking his knucles while the other man simply looked offended by the spit coming out with each word.

As Dore drew closer, Salza pushed out a sole finger to push into Dore's forehead, prodding the hulking man with an indignant frown. "Ack, you moron. It's a Toolian Tooth Pick for the metaphor, a Glorbian makes no sense in this context!"

"Don't you chuck your fancy words at me, you…" Dore struggled for the word "Ponce!"

"Oh, Dore, how impressive; z'hats a pretty complicated word for you"

The two's foreheads connected, their bodies twitching with frustrating as they barely held themselves back from throwing a punch at the other. But before either could initiate their usual fight, Neiz's tall form stepped into view, his screeching voices speaking. "I'm done!" And in that moment the two turned their head to look at their comrade, and in that moment, both of them had to do a double take.

In front of them, their tall amphibian comrade stood with his back bent over like an old man who's spine had long since been thrown out of place, wearing a long and tattered green trench coat that reached down to the creature's feet. Coupled with a large sombrero over his head and a pair of glasses with a fake moustache, creating an odd combo of complete suspicion.

"THAT'S your disguise!?" Both exclaimed in unity.

"I know, I'm like a chameleon!"

And in unison, the two face-palmed.

* * *

An hour later the three had found themselves pushing through the road winding its way through a town called 'Tunson', Dorne leading by a few paces with a wagging tongue, it seemed that a strong scent of food had caught his nose; prompting the man to take off with Salza and Neiz trailing behind. "Look at that bastard go!" Neiz exclaimed.

Salza (Refusing to look at Neiz while he wore that stupid hat) huffed as he nodded, saying "I know, imagine if he put that much energy into our work…" Slipping through the crowd was a rough experience, Salza knew that with his strength he could easily send any one of these people flying with just a tap, it took a lot of effort to restrain himself while keeping pace. They didn't want to attract attention to themselves. "At z'his rate we're going to lose him"

"I've got this!" Neiz pushed Salza aside, his snout barely sticking out from the folds of the trench coat's collar.

In response, Salza's tone grew dry "Ze last time I heard Zat, ve had the natives of an entire planet looking for our heads within ze hour"

"That doesn't count!" The tall amphibian stopped, trying to look casual as he smacked his hands together, a spark emanating from between them upon collision. In only a moment his finger crackled with purple electricity. Before Salza could say anything on the matter, Neiz pushed his hand forward in a flicking motion and flicked the spark off through the crowd, the small abnormality darting out of view in a sea of unsuspecting people.

When the two heard an all familiar 'Ouch… NEIZ!', the creature allowed himself a moment to cast a gloating smile which Salza could not see. Instead, Salza grabbed Neiz by the shoulder and dragged the amphibian through the crowd, bursting out of the other side to see their companion twitching down on the floor in front of a very confused saleswoman.

Salza looked over Dore, who had some sort of wrapped meat in his hand, before his arms fell into a crossed stance. "Ah, Dore. Sleeping on ze job again, I see"

The snow haired woman looked down from behind her stall, her eyes wide with confusion and worry "Is he gonna be okay? I did warn him that those dinosaur tails would be mighty spicy"

Her southern drawl drew Salza's attention, making him realise just how stupid Neiz's public attack was and how lucky he was that no one had seemed to notice their involvement. It also made him mentally note down 'Scold Neiz' on his to-do list. "He is simply being a vet blanket, mi'lady. Ze poor boy just doesn't know ven he is in over his head, especially ven it comes to food"

Stepping over Dore, Salza made his way closer to the stall, moving his arm across his chest in his species natural stance of apology. "I apologise for any inconvenience zis oaf has caused you" He bowed his head, the woman breaking out into a nervous giggle, still partially confused.

"Uh, no problem, Mr. He didn't do nothing wrong, just hungry is all" She held her hand up with rushed wave. Behind Salza, Dore had finally stopped twitching, however this also meant he could get up to his feet; now a burning glare set on an unsuspecting Neiz. "Mighty strange bow you got there"

With that, Salza saw an opportunity. "Ah, yes… I must look old fashioned. You could say zhat me and my friends have been living under a rock for ze past few years" There was no hesitation before Dore lunged at Neiz from behind, wrapping his rock-hard muscles around Neiz's neck, the amphibian struggling.

"You ain't alone there. Course, most folks went underground after the androids arrived, scorching all the cities" The struggle continued, Neiz kicking his feet up wildly while slapping at Dore's biceps. "I reckon not even half of them even know the androids are gone"

"Androids?" Salza rubbed his temples, pretending to strain his memory

She clapped her hands together "I know most folk like to call 'em demons, but they're metal monsters, alright. They look just like people, but they ain't got no soul in those eye of theirs" Behind Salza, Neiz sung his feet up, throwing his weight back to slam into Dore and knock him to the floor. "Some crazy experiments by that Red Ribbon Army, you could tell because of that logo on them. I got to see an android up close once… What a nightmare"

"I've never heard of this 'Red Ribbon Army' before"

"Nasty lot, I heard. I wasn't born during their time. Cut throats and tyrants, taking the world by force. They had this logo, a red ribbon with two 'R's on it" She held up her hands, wiggling her fingers like a twitching spider to make an 'ooooo' effect. "I still can't believe someone like my grandpa worked for those cretins- Ooh, don't tell anyone about that. Could ruin business!"

A dust cloud enveloped the spot where the two aliens fought for dominance, making their fight only a barrage of lines and mud to the naked eye. "You have my word. And my word has ze patience of stone! Now, vat happened to ze androids, again?"

"Well, a few years back some fella just came along and cut them down. Just like that. The few people there at the time couldn't believe their eyes, it was like a giant swatting a fly… Explosive flies. Like-" With a raise of his hand, Salza cut her off with a polite smile.

Before he turned around, throwing his mouth open to yell at his subordinates. "Stop behaving like children, zou morons! ZOU'RE DRAWING ATTENTION TO US!" The constant rhyum of the two's struggles came to a complete halt, the dust cloud exploding into clear air around them, revealing the two companions on the ground. Dore in the process of wrapping Neiz's leg around his shoulder with a fist aimed right at Neiz's snout, while the amphibian had his teeth over half of Dore's head.

Two pairs of eyes awkwardly met Salza's glare. "Zou make a mockery of our leader with your foolish antics"

"I don't know about that, I'd say all that air your lungs are letting out is what's bringing the most attention" The reply's southern accent made Salza initially think it was the merchant woman, but then he realised how much more deep and coy the voice was. Twisting his neck to face the voice, Salza was surprised to meet the sight of an even odder-looking trio than his own.

The speaker was a man who had a stunning resemblance to the saleswoman, even with all the muscles that built the man like a mountain. Again, the man spoke. "Don't be sour, stranger. I was making a joke" Instantly, something was… Off about him. And it wasn't the purple mime/clown beside him. His blue iris's were empty, a calm and steady sea of emptiness. No life. But they were moving, inspecting Salza.

"If I vasn't in such a mood, I'm sure I vould of laughed" Salza offered a forced smile, fully turning to face the man, signalling with his fingers for Dore and Neiz to get up. "I do not mean to be so rude. My name is… Sadala. And you are?" The man's smile did nothing to settle Salza's expectation of a threat. It was the cocky smile a mugger would make towards an unsuspecting victim that just walked into an alley way.

"Me? Well, I'm…" At the question, the man grew hesitant, thinking. "They call me Tucker"

"And your friends?"

"Are not important" At this, the purple dwarf huffed, turning away. Which only made 'Tucker' chuckle. "Don't mind that tiddler, he's having a tantrum" Before 'playfully' slapping the dwarf's back. "Ain't that right?"

"Uhuh" Both the dwarf and Salza replied under their breaths.

Tucker's eyes trailed off slightly, towards Salza's cheek. "Funny looking glasses you got there"

This threw Salza off guard a bit, before he realised that the man was talking about the scouter. Had he forgotten to take it off? "Technology grows every day, Mr Tucker" They both shared a fake chuckle, Salza moving his hand up to fiddle with his 'glasses'. I the had his scouter with him, might as well take a read on the man that's making him suspicious.

The results were a great shock to Salza, prompting him to do a double take. It wasn't because of a surprisingly high power level for the planet, nor was the power level undetectable (As he heard was a frequent occurrence on Earth), but it was… Odd. The readings read less like power level data, and more like energy readings. As if he was scanning a machine…

"What's wrong, Sal? You're looking a little… Blue." 'Tucker's thumb prodded against Salza's cheek, a knowing grin on his lips. _Can he see my true skin under the mud!? How in the hell would he-_ Then a possibility tugged at his mind?

 _"I know most folk like to call 'em demons, but they're metal monsters, alright"_

The unnatural feel. The threatening grin.

 _"They look just like people, but they ain't got no soul in those eye of theirs"_

The lifeless eyes.

 _"They had this logo, a red ribbon with two 'R's on it"_

Hesitantly, Salza's eye moved away from the captive steel gaze, lowering down the yellow vest; immediately coming upon a logo on the breast pocket. A ribbon. A red ribbon. Looks like the Androids weren't finished off after all. "Nice shirt, I'm guessing you're a… Mechanic of sorts?"

"Do I?" 'Tucker' moved closer, looking down at Salza, daring the man to make a move. "I don't think you're from around here, son. Where are you from, huh? Out of town? Country?"

"Lots of different places" Dore and Neiz could be heard moving to back up Salza, ready to brawl through the fog of thick tension. It seemed the Android had sniffed them out as well. _Looks like keeping it quiet is out of the picture now…_

"-on't you dare!" The scream from above them didn't break the intense stare down between the two trios. Salza tugged at the cuff of his glove, ki bubbling beneath his finger tips and ready to strike out.

"It's like you said, Mom. Don't be a baby!" That didn't deter either of the fighters either, but even they had to look up when the argument from the heavens broke down into a terrified scream. Tilting his head skyward Salza was met with the sight of a woman falling straight out of the sky, and hurdling down towards them, all why screaming her head off.

"SON PAN, YOU ARE SO GROUNDED AFTER THIS!" Like any mother scorning her children, the voice was almost demonic as she got closer to the ground. The people on the ground too stunned by the strange turn of events to move.

Android 15 was the most stunned when a pair of feet landed atop his hat, pushing the brim down over his eyes as the person tried to regain their balance. "And she sticks the landing… Kind of" This left the dwarf struggling to stay of his feet. It made him glad he didn't have lungs, or this would have been suffocating him.

The others merely recoiled in confusion at the scene of the chirpy raven-haired girl landing on a dwarf's head, all to catch the falling woman with an awkward smile. "See, Mom. Was that so bad?"

"That was terrifying!" Videl spat at her daughter

Pan shrugged. "That's revenge for my poor thumb"

Dore was the first to speak "Is anyone else really confused, or am I just dumb?"

To which Neiz bluntly responded "We're all confused. You're just dumb as well"

"Oh, okay."

"Pan, you're causing a scene…" Videl reached out to grab Pan by the ear lobe, pulling roughly on the girl's vital lobe, coaxing out a pain howl.

"Okay, okay, I'll put yo- OW- Stop it!" Immediately, the girl jumped off the dwarf's head (It took him a good few tugs before he pulled his hat back into place, allowing him to glare at her as she landed) and set the woman on the ground. Pleading for the mother to stop pulling on her ear. "You're such a buzz kill"

After a roll of her eyes, Videl mercifully let go before pointing at 15 "Now, you go and apologise to that strange purple midget for standing on him"

"But, mom. I want-"

"You say you're sorry, or no meat"

Within an instant Pan had flashed over to the dwarf, taking his hand and shaking it vigorously at such a speed that their handshake was invisible. "Sorry, sorry, sorry. Please don't let her take my meat away" Then she came to an instance stop. "That good enough?" When 15 didn't reply she took that as a yes and jumped back. "Now, meat."

"Slow down, honey" Videl waved a knowing finger in Pan's face, dragging yet another sigh from the girl. "I'm sorry about her, she gets very jumpy when she's hungry"

"It is quite alright" Salza looked to Videl with a smile, waving off any tension he had felt before. "Zose little quirks are vat keep people interesting, no?" Casting a look back to the other trio, Salza was surprised to see the change in their expressions and body languages, all three of them becoming tense. 'Tucker' was confused, and the dwarf looked as if he was about to explode. _Maybe it's best ve leave and report zis to Lord Cooler. He vanted us to lay low, and zis is our chance_

"I've been telling myself that for twenty years"

"Mom!" The girl pouted like a child, which was strange on someone who Salza assumed was much older. She looked over to the adjacent wall, which caused her face to immediately light up. "Hey, look, they're already advertising for the tournament!"

"Tournament?" Finally, Dore was the one to speak, to which Salza shook his head at. This was the time to be leaving.

"Yeah, the world tournament's coming back soon. The world's strongest warriors come from all around to see who's the best. Awesome, huh?" She stared up at the rather shabby looking poster with awe. "And not to brag, but the one who's going to be taking that title, is gonna be me"

Salza could only face palm when Dore and Neiz lurched forward with shock all over their faces, yelling. "You mean YOU'RE the strongest warrior on the planet!? WOW!"

For a moment, the girl jumped back in surprise, before crossing her arms and forcing a cocky smirk, trying to assume a 'cool' stance. "Well, duh. See these muscles?"

"Pan, please…" Said Videl, sighing at her daughter's antics.

"I haven't even gotten into the tournament yet and I already have admirers. I AM awesome"

"Anyway." Salza made sure to speak loud and clear into Neiz and Dore's ears, grabbing them both by the shoulders. "I zink it is time for us to go. Have fun at zour tournament" With that, much to the two's displeasure, Salza dragged Neiz and Dore back through the crowd. And in only a few minutes the two had completely disappeared.

"They were nice" Videl commented as the two took off down the other side of the street, looking for a specific stall.

Pan added "I liked the chocolate one's hair"

This left the three androids back to their lone selves by the stall, 13 and 14 looking at each other trying to confirm if their heard the same thing. In their brains, their computer minds were going haywire as old subroutines and programs that had long since become invalid were drudged up. Flashing in each android's mind was the colour red, an order of blood, a need to kill. Each one felt a small piece of Dr. Gero's rage.

"Her name… That couldn't be…"13 looked down to 15, who's stare had grown as stiff as stone towards his hand. In the palm of the dwarf's hand, a spec of blood stained the metal skin, having found itself there when Pan shook the dwarf's hand. 14 and 13 recognised her surname. But 15's scanners instantly recognised the blood.

15 nodded grimly. No matter what the android thought about the nature of his life, no matter how much he didn't want to take orders anymore, his programming override every bit of thought in his metal mind. The rage of Gero's revenge was like alcohol to his mind.

"Son Pan…" 13 muttered.

"Son Goku." 15 curled his hand into a fist, imagining the blood's squelch as it's screams. "Son Goku must pay"

At this, 13 found his grind agai at this revelation "And do the Granddaughter's bear the sins of the father?" Before switching his gaze to the World Tournament Poster. "She's gonna get a title, huh? Well… I think someone needs to make this Tournament interesting. How about that, 15?"

 **"This target is… Acceptable"**


	21. Strange Encounters

**Okay yeah... This chapter is short compared to the over chapters. But it's been a while since I posted the last one and I at least wanted to get what I had out. So, NEXT chapter should be the end of the introductory phase, as well as our first full appearance of the main villain.**

* * *

Most would say that the realms of the Supreme Kai don't vary much in looks throughout the various universes. There's always a fading purple void as the skyward barrier to this holy land, always a combination of sprawling pure green grass and crystal clear lakes, always a traditional oak tree that stood as unbreakable as a Supreme Kai's will.

But for Yarimasu the defining feature of a Supreme Kai's world is the feel of the world, the meaning buried into the very foundation of their residence. A testimant to a Supreme Kai's duties. For Universe 10, the raw power and strength oozed from it's world, despite how decrepid and worn their Supreme Kai would seem. Universe 11 was a place of order and justice. Universe 3's gave off that air of progress, the last time Yarimasu had visited, she couldn't help but get enveloped in the overwhelming sense of some sort of advancement of her self.

However, she'd say that the atmosphere of this Universe was her guilty pleasure. From the start of their journey through the Universes to bump off the other Supreme Kais, this had been the one step in their journey she had been dreading. Her insecurities building up over time, with every whisper in her mind wondering 'what-if'. After her last time here, she didn't like to entertain the thought of returning to this place.

Even then, much to her displeasure, as soon as she and Shimasu's feet hit the soft bed of lush greenery; she drowned in that familiar aura. The warmth. The recognition. The sense of belonging. The sense… Of being home. She hated herself for it. This was the symbol of her old life, her life as a pathetic spectator, as a failure. But she couldn't bring herself to detest those beautifully crafted walls and those flourishing trees.

A hand slowly moved over her should, a comforting pat on the back. "Do you need a minute?" The question came from Shimasu, his voice laced with worry for his sibling.

"No, we need to just get this over with" Her response was blunt and immediate, with perhaps too much force behind it as she pushed forward, away from the comforting hand. "We've procrastinated from this long enough. If we wait too long to commit the deed, we'll only risk losing our faith in our abilities to do so" The anger in her voice became apparent. "I am not the same coward as before…"

"You were never a coward." He said, lagging just behind her long strides, his eyes wondering to the various carved ornaments that littered the grounds and peaked through the blades of grass.

"I was worst. I was a failure. I was useless" She spoke in a factual manner, not eager for an argument on her point. With tensions rising at the mere sight of this place, she didn't want to risk snapping at him. "But now, I atone for that. You and I will make up for the incompetence of the other Gods. Right?"

Shimasu offered a sigh of defeat, he could never hold an argument. "Of course. Whatever you say. Beat yourself up to your poor hearts content" They moved through the two large peach trees that formed an archway over the bridge, a tall crooked structure shaped like a pure green beetle coming into view. "But when your heart submits, I shall be here to heal it while telling you that 'I told you so'. Sist-" They came to a halt, the feeling of a familiar ki approaching. "-Company. I do hope they have tea…"

Yarimasu's face fell flat as she spotted a small form land in front of them, the muddy green three-toed feet came first, followed by a thin pair of legs and torso wrapped in thin white armour as the woman landed. "Mam?" The arcosian was slim with the only real bits of muscle lying in her knees and hands, you'd never guess that she was a strong fighter. But then again, female arcosians were known for how visually deceptive they could be. "I apologise for my lack of manners, mam; but I could have sworn I just left you enjoying your brunch…"

The arcosian showed no sign of an actual apology, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed in suspision. "You did, Glacia." Yarimasu kept her expression clean, staring down her attendant for the slightest bit of threat. The twisted and low pitched tones of the woman's voice did nothing to lower Yarimasu's guard, as far as Yarimasu remembered, Glacia was an observant woman.

"And yet, here you stand without even a wrinkle"

"Isn't that odd?"

"Indeed." The Arcosian's eyes moved into a perinant steel gaze of suspicion, her arms together in a regal stance, her head leaning forward. "How lucky for you to look so much younger"

Shimasu clapped Yarimasu on the shoulder. "Ah! How kind. See, Shimasu, she's giving you a compliment"

"And you certainly don't look like a trustworthy individual" The attendant added bluntly.

"No need to get personal…" He said, his lips frowning slightly.

Yarimasu walked forward without hesitation, not giving Glacia a second glance. "Come now, Brother. We have wasted too much time alredy. We have a meeting to attend to"

Even when the Arcosian stepped in front of her, standing at eye level with the woman, Yarimasu still kept the air of expectance around her. "I don't know why you seek to immitait a Supreme Kai, but some cheap magic tricks will not get by me. Leave now, because I am not letting you get anywhere close to the Supreme Kai"  
For a moment, Yarimasu let herself smile. "I'm glad that after all this time, you still kept that loyalty" But that smile was short lived, falling to a stern line as her hand reached for the axe on her back, the Arcosian raising her hand. _It's a strange feeling, having to kill someone twice… And don't even know you did it the first time._ Yarimasu had to act quick, before she got he-

"That is enough." It was a rather intense moment, hearing her own voice come from far away, wthout her mouth moveing. Like waking up from a nightmare caked in sweat and adrenaline. Yarimasu moved her gaze upwards, when Glacia had jumped out of the way and fallen into a submissive bow, Yarimasu had a clear view of her own eyes staring back at her. They were the same colour, but they also held differences. They were cold, sad… Empty.

She turned slightly to speak to Shimasu "Do I always look that depressed?"

"Only when you're trying to win an argument" Said the other Kai, chuckling at Yarimasu's expression. "I told you so." The older kai stood atop the long staircase that led into the large building, taking in the scene before her.

"Mam, this imposter-" Glacia had begun, only to be cut off by the Yarimasu of this timeline.

"Imposter?" The older woman leaned forward, eyeing up her younger counterpart, her gaze quickly falling upon the silver ring upon the woman's middle finger; the same ring the older version had stored elsewhere. "She is no imposter, I'm afraid" Briefly her eyes flickered over Shimasu, a flair of recognition and regret.  
Glacia was understandably confused. "But, how? You're right here… But over there? I'm sorry, but this doesn't make any sense"

"You don't need to understand" The Kai moved down the staircase at a brisk pace, flicking her fingers in a gesture for Glacia to leave. "Fetch our new guests some tea-"

"She has tea!"

"-Though I assume that this is more than a pleasant visit" She reached the bottom step, her stern gaze sending the attendant rushing off. When the Arcosian had disappeared from view, the two look-a-likes looked each other in the eyes. The Future Yarimasu showing no hesitation in coming to her conclusion. "You're here to kill me, aren't you?"

The younger kai simply nodded and said "We have a lot to talk about and so much time for everything to go wrong"


	22. A Welcome Thorn

**You know when I said ths chapter would be the end of the introduction phase? Yeah... Plans are a bitch.  
**

* * *

The room was cold. As if the icy winds of Arcos had flooded the room, choking the inhabitants in a solid grip of burning ice. Salza, Neiz and Dore pressed their heads against the floor, desperate to avoid the gaze of their master. While they did know that Cooler had a much more merciful outlook towards those who served him than his brother or father (A factoid Cooler didn't like admitting), his glare was nerve wrecking and held the signature danger of any royal Arcosian. Though, considering that this was a man who could shoot laser beam out of his eyes, it was rather fitting.

"Androids?" The question rolled bitterly off of Cooler's song, his eyes glowering down at the bowed form of his servants, fingers digging into the arms of his 'throne'. Behind him, the observation deck had darkened with the fall of the day, having the effect of twisting shadows around the Arcosian's form, leaving his eyes half-hidden. But that glare never let up.

Salza's head rose a little to say "I am sure, my Lord! Three androids" His tone official and confident.

Still, Cooler kept his icy gaze fixed upon his second-in-command, it was a very telling gaze. One that caused more pressure than relief to fall upon Salza's shoulders. "I should hope for your sake that you are sure, for if you were to bring me such alarming news, only to find that it was all ill-founded after you waste precious time… My disappointment would know no end" His tone was still dry, there was an edge of anger here and there, but he kept his composure.

Cooler didn't need to make a threat of bodily harm against a man like Salza. Yes, Cooler did follow the belief that to show his men the consequence of failure through his domination of his foes, but for Salza? The man was born with the military so entrenched in his genetics, body and soul that failing his superior was a fate worse than death. "I am vell aware, Sir. But it is the only vay zo explain ze strange readings from ze scouters"

It didn't help that Salza had grown up with Captain Ginyu as a mentor. Honestly, Cooler saw it as a rather foolish outlook. _But… It does secure his loyalty. "_ As long as you keep that in mind" The Arcosian moved his chin to rest atop his closed fist, his eyes relaxing slightly. "Is there anything useful you could find on these androids? Anything that could help?"

"I am sure zat zhey are not ze same androids that rampaged across Earth all zhose years ago" Salza's eyes didn't dare move from the bright purple floor plates, this position beaten into his very bones like a bad back. "A witness to the previous android's destruction could not recognise them"

At this, Cooler' found his breath caught up in his throat, his body shooting up to their feet. "Wait. Previous android's destruction?" The three crewmen instantly lurched backwards at the sound of a 'thump' at their master's feet hitting the ground, his voice laced with venom. "A factor you forgot to mention. That it has been confirmed that there was someone on this planet strong enough to defeat the beings who overpowered the Super Saiyan!?"

"W-we didn't think that was an important piece of information!" Said Neiz, explaining himself through a desperate crackled tone.

"You're not thinking, Gentlemen" The bitter Arcosian swerved to put his back to them, inching his way to the observation deck window, looking out onto the darkening landscape of the wasteland. "At least, you're not thinking from the right point of view" The ruler raised one finger, within seconds a crimson orb developed over the finger, clashing with the shadows, and covering half of Cooler's form with a red hue. "Take in the facts. These original androids killed the Super Saiyan the same Super Saiyan who effortlessly slaughtered both my brother and father. So, let us assume that means the one who's hands they died at is at least as strong as them. And the possibility that they still live on this world"

The possibility of this person abusing some ulterior method that didn't require that much power did come to mind, but Cooler looked to that as a low possibility, and one that was all too hopeful. "And at worse, they've grown stronger and stronger. Strong enough to be a threat" His gaze moved up towards the sky, where a few stars twinkled as reminders of faraway galaxies. "This planet is one of the lowest rated dirt balls in the universe, for centuries its strongest natural born fighters couldn't even measure up to our foot soldiers. And even they were slaughtered by Androids. No, it's real jewels have reportedly been from off world, or created through unnatural means. So… Who could have been this strong?"

"I think he's thinking about this too hard…" Dore murmered to Neiz, who for the sake of his life didn't try and make a response.

"Maybe this was the androids you met, rouges who turned on their creator and fellow tools of destruction. But that implies they were built after the rampage o the previous androids, and with the state of the world at that time, the possibility of anyone being able to make any technical marvels is low. Maybe an alien sought refuge on this planet? But a savoir with alien features would have been mentioned by this witness of yours. Maybe… Maybe…"

"Maybe a surviving Saiyan? Ze monkies could have procreated before their untimely demise…"

The mere mention of Saiyans as a possibility made Cooler stop in his tracks, his breath caught in his throat, a cold shiver running down his spine. Like an old drug habit calling to him from within. "Saiyans?" His voice became quiet and contemplative, his eyes staring into the space in front of him. All at once a golden aura took hold of his mind, a short recording playing back in his memory over and over again. The single message that made it out of King Cold's ship. Of a Golden Devil that reduced the universe's strongest fights to nothing without breaking a sweat. Cooler's tounge swept over his dry lips, simply replying "No… Let's not get out hopes up"

Dore suddenly got to his feet, smacking his hands together. "Hey! Maybe it's that lass we met in the town!" He grinned to himself at the thought. "This girl said she was the strongest person on the planet!"

To which Salza instantly got to his feet to smack the tower of muscle upside the head. "She was being arrogant, you louse!"

"Did you not see those muscles?" To emphasise, Dore flexed.

"Your muscles are bigger than her head."

"Oh… Good point."

Neiz was unsure of whether to stop bowing, Salza and Dore had gotten up, but Cooler hadn't said anything. Peer pressure and his gut were disagreeing. "We should have scanned her for her power levels…"

Salza scoffed "Have you read ANY of ze reports comprised about zis planet?"

"Nope." Said Neiz with a shrug.

Dore slung his arm around Neiz's head with a chuckle "Yeah, we leave all the digging to you, mate. Neiz can't even read…"

Suddenly, Salza had the feeling he was starting to develop a twitch in reaction to Dore's insufferable laugh. "I am surrounded by morons…" He inhaled and exhaled. He continued. "Many Earthlings who are of moderate fighting prowess have displayed ze ability to hide zheir full potential. Zhey natural power level is likely to be a mouse compared to zheir real power"

"Heh, Neiz wouldn't even get the chance to scan her anyway when he doesn't have his scouter anymore"

The tall amphibian instantly felt the heat of Cooler's gaze train on him. "Explain." The demand felt like sharp fangs pulling at Neiz's sweaty brow.

"I don't know how I lost it, sir. It must have just… Fell off, probably when we were moving through that crowd a while back" Neiz looked up for a moment and instantly regretted it, the Arcosian's snake-like iris seemed primed and ready to fire.

Seeing this, Salza immediately stepped in front of Neiz with a curt bow "Zo be fair, sir, zhis is not zhat much of a loss. Ve have spares!"

"It's not so much the value of what he has lost, Salza, but that he so fragrantly and easily lost basic equipment" Cooler's eyes closed a sigh was taken and the master turned away yet again. "When I give orders, I expect them to be followed. Because I trust in your abilities as my hand. When I want you to fight, I trust that you'll be experienced enough to outdo your opponent. When I want your opinion, I trust that you are knowledgeable in the subject I ask you about. But if such simple tasks and responsibilities are too much for you, if you waste resources, my trust begins to fade. And by the end, all I see is disappointments" His words were articulated to make every point clear and precise, his finger moving as if it was prepared to fire off a blast, but no such danger ever came.

"Of course, Sir. It von't happen again, vill it, Neiz?" Salza's foot inched backward, hitting Neiz on the snout.

"Uh, YES! That's right! Never again!"

"Now, I trust you'll be able to track these Androids down" Cooler returned to his throne, crossing one leg over the other in a regal stature. "But that's not all we're looking out for. It seems that there is much more that this planet has to offer than it would seem. While you were away scouting, I went on an adventure of my own. Salza."

The Arcosian tapped his own scouter before he gestured to the screen on the wall, which after a few button presses from Salza lit up, a small static ensuing as colour materialised on the screen. "Connecting to zour scouter's feed, my Lord"

Soon, the three soldiers gathered to watch the muted footage of Chorona and Cooler's discovery of the strange time rift. Dore's immediate reaction was 'Pretty lady!' while Neiz's was simply "What's up with the stupid hair?'

"As you can see, I had some… Pleasant company on the journey. She called herself a 'Kai', a term I have not heard before" Cooler was surprised when Neiz seemed to have a flash of recognition.

"A kai? I've heard of them before, but only in fairy tales and religions. Aren't they supposed to be Gods of Creation or something?"

"Then that would make her a… Goddess?" The Emperor found himself chuckling at the thought. "Yes, that does seem a fitting label she would give herself" But that brought into question validity of her claims. While Neiz's home world fairy tale could be referring to something different, Cooler couldn't deny that some aspects about her, her clothes, and the way she carried herself. Especially her strange techniques and her obvious knowledge of this strange distortion they encountered.

They did seem to be fitting of any mention of gods his father had told him about. Though, he had never heard of a God of Creation, only the idea of a God of Destruction, more specifically a being his Father had taken great lengths to warn both him and his brother about; Lord Beerus. _A God of Creation would make sense, in a cosmic hierarchy of deities the universe would seek to strike a balance in their positions. Before creation comes destruction._ He had much to think about later.

"It is likely that we shall cross paths with her again, a perfect opportunity to learn more" Something bigger was going on here, this planet is the centre of some cosmic event, and she was wrapped up in it as well.

"So, she's a friend?" Dore asked hopefully.

"If we meet her…" Cooler stopped, thinking it over. She would certainly be much more valuable as an ally, even without the possibility of her godly status as well as her 'personality', her abilities and knowledge could be a very fruitful addition under Cooler's command. And he did need a foot stool… "We treat her as a possible ally. But always be ready to start slitting throats. As I've learned growing under the shadow of my father's incompetence, the sharpest blades hide behind such beautiful faces"

And now, Cooler had to try and explain what the hell happened when the video cut off at the crystal sucking Cooler and Chorona in… It was going to be a long day.


	23. Without You

With a sigh, Videl inched her head to the side, dodging yet another shard of glass that was wrenched from her window frame by 'the wind'. This shard joining the other few, embedding themselves into the wall to from a glass outline of the woman's tilted head. "Window's ain't cheap, you know!" She called out to the broken window.

"Hehehe, sorry. I won't do it ag-" Before Pan could even finish her repeated apology another shard exploded from the frame and went right through Videl's Heatap can.

"For the ninth time going…"

She heard her daughter let out another grunt, probably kicking her feet into the air for her daily training exercises. "Hey! Don't worry about it, you'll be able to buy twenty windows with the prize money when I win the tournament"

After the tenth shard ripped her favourite vase off the table and into the floor, the mother (Who was starting to reach the end of her patience) clicked off the television with a grumble and pulled herself up towards the window. Looks like she wasn't getting any sleep tonight by the tv. Another 'heeeya!' ripped through the air as Videl hopped over the broken window, witnessing Pan's fist collide with the air at such a speed that it sent a visible shockwave barrelling into a nearby street lamp; reducing said street lamp to a broken mess. "I'm not looking forward to the repair bills I'm gonna get this week…"

An awkward laugh from Pan. "T-That old thing was broken anyway"

And another angry twitch from Videl. "Why don't you find somewhere empty to train? You know, somewhere where nobody knows who I am and where to send their complaints?"

"Pffft, I'm just a student! I can't train on my own when I still have so much to learn" Pan shook her head, accompanied by a 'Tsk, tsk, tsk' that made Videl's eye twitch again. "So, I'm having Dad oversee my training. I mean, he doesn't really have anything else to do all day" It was only then that Videl noticed the fact that the girl was doing all this directly in front of Gohan's grave. "He thinks I'm doing great. Though I think he's a bit scared of that glare you got there…"

"It's times like this I ask myself why I didn't take ChiChi's advise and make you a book worm" Despite an obvious puncture in the can, Videl raised her drink to her lips the cold liquid inside offering a cold tingle to her tired and dishevelled face.

Pan thought for a second, before saying "Because I can't pretend to talk with my dad's grave about the 'Theory of Relativity'?"

"Well, at least I don't have to worry about you being crazy…"

"There's nothing wrong with talking to a grave" Said Pan, her cheeks puffing out into a pout. "I know he's not actually there, but I feel more confident. And I like that because that means, even indirectly he's still helping me" She fell down into a sitting position beside the grave, patting away the dust on the engravings. "Besides, I've gotta make up for the fact that he won't be there for my dream anymore"

"This is going to be stupid, isn't it?"

"I've told you about this before!" The girl whined, lowering herself onto her back to look up to the night sky. She patted the spot beside her. "Sit."

"Urg… Fine, but I'm going to fall asleep while you talk" The grown woman made her way over to her daughter and laid beside her for the first time in ten years, the cold and rough dirt already irritating her. "Okay, what's the dream? Strongest fighter, right?"

"That's just the start! Just one dream ain't enough for Son Pan, especially one that comes as natural and easy to me. 'Cus I'm already the best, just gotta prove it" Pan pointed skywards towards the stars. "I want to go up there, where there's no limits, where everything is strange and alien to me. Somewhere away from here"

"Hey! My company isn't THAT bad, is it?" Videl chuckled

"It's not that, Mom. I love you all. I don't want to get away from you, just… Earth is where everything's already happened. And I spent my days growing up in the worst of it. Like… I was late to a barbecue and got left with the salad. I feel trapped a bit, by all the… the… Urg, how do I put it?"

"Scars of the past?"

"Yeah, something like that!" Pan leaned her head against Videl's shoulder "And the only way to escape those chains is be like the small blue bird that leaves the nest after someone sets it on fire. You know, the one that gets eaten but still feels brave and stunning and all those adjectives. If I get far enough away, I can… I can… I can be free to enjoy life, without the constant reminders. I can fight freely"

"Is this why you want to fight so much? Because you feel obligated to?"

"I don't know. And that's the worst of it. I love fighting, it's amazing and I will always be proud of where I come from. But sometimes I wonder if that's real, if that's my feels and not just me trying to be something I'm not" She sighed as her mother's arm moved to wrap around her waist, pulling the girl into a hug. "Bulma thinks it might be a Saiyan thing, that maybe I'm not thrown into life-or-death situations enough"

"I think she was joking"

"It would make sense though…" Videl's eyes fell on her daughter for the moment, feeling completely helpless when it came to Saiyan matters. "So, that's your dream? TO leave us here on Earth while you have the time of your life with intergalactic bug people?"

"Whoa! No! I wouldn't leave you guys here, you're all coming with me, of course"

"All? Who els-"

Pan sprang to her feet, her initially dreary look replaced with a giddy smile, her fingers digging into her pockets to pull out something she was quite eager to show. "All my friends and family! We can't just stay a part, how'd you guys live without me there?"

Unfortunately for Videl, in the process of getting up so fast, Pan sent her mother face first into the mud. Without a word, the sighing mother scrapped away the dirt from her face as she got to her feet, trying to resist slapping the girl (Even if it wouldn't affect the Saiyan) and simply looked at the picture. It was an old and crumbled piece of paper, obviously more than a few years old, and with the use of crayon and stick figures Videl hoped this wasn't Pan's best attempt at drawing.

"TADA, Pan's Ultimate Spectacular Amazing Super Tasty Sexy Plan!" Pan pointed to a piece of the paper that showed two stick figure, one orange with 'cool flames' surrounding him and the other with doodles on it's head reading 'Girly hair'. "Step one: Daddy and Trunks kick Android butt" Opposite them two stick figures with stink lines are left on the floor crying. "Step two: Bulma makes the world suck less" And there the Bulma stick figure stood atop a giant candy cane. "Step three: Bulma builds a spaceship that's straight out of the movies… And made of candy" Now the Bulma figure was being abducted by aliens. "Step four: Space, the first stop is the moon made of cheese"

This lead Pan's finger to the back of the paper where a large mess of colour was drawn, as if a crayon had vomited all over the sheet. "Here's me…" Pan was driving a motorcycle in front of an impressive ship, plenty of cheeses in hand, and wearing shades. "And you're, uh…" Videl's eye twitched once more upon seeing the stick figure of her, who was being carried away by cheese people with the words 'Nagging Nacy' over her head. "And there's Trunks in the sky, because he has no sense of dramatic timing" The sword on his back was bigger than his entire body. "Bulma is making sure that the ship is in tip-top shape…" The Bulma figure was sunbathing on top of the ship, a drink in one hand and a wrench in the other. "And Dad's there… Holding my hand while on the back of the motorcycle…" It was completely unsafe. "And I added in 16 a few years later, because there's no way he'd miss this chance"

16 was sitting with the singing cheese people, shades on while he played the saxophone. Videl was quite confused. "Why is there so much fire everywhere?"

"I was little, fire meant cool…"

"You think Bulma will build you a ship?"

"Trunks said she would totally do it, and if not, we'd just build it ourselves!" Said Pan in a rather loud tone, proclaiming with her finger extended. "I mean, yes, he was like… Ten when he said that. But he PINKY promised me that someday, after the androids were destroyed, he'd get us into space. And then we'd find that place Dad went to when everyone died before, Namek, and get all our family and friends back" She slammed her fist into her palm. "And all with rock songs blasting in the background to make it a super cool adventure"

"It's a nice dream…" Videl rolled her eyes, sighing at the girl and getting to her feet. It was about time she headed to bed, or at least try to. "Come now, you've got to get some rest. If you just keep training all the time you'll start harming the progress you've made, and then how will you win the prize money to pay for my window"

"But I've just got too much energy! A few more minutes, I promise I won't hit our house… Can't say the same for the neighbours"

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Pressure rained down like the world harshest storm of hail, gravity itself pounding against every inch of Trunks's body from his flesh to his bone to his sou. Crimson painted the walls of the boy's psyche, every inch taken over by the oppressive colour, everything at the mercy of gravity. Gravity, a drowning sailor clawing at Trunks for any hope to take someone else down with them, hoping to crush his wind pipe and his spirit.

With every raise of his leg to kick, there was a ghostly hand discouraging his body to sour through the gravity room. With every punch, a waterfall of sweat exploded from his chest, pulling out a wheezing cry for a break, for another reason to stop. But he couldn't stop. He told himself that he couldn't stop. Gohan would tell him he had to keep going. His father would barely acknowledge him, touting that a true Saiyan's bones wouldn't whine so much. And Pan would probably just slap him on the ass and shout words of 'encouragement' for him to 'Do it, Champ!' or something nonsensical like that.

He could always hear those voices beating him over the head every moment of difficulty. It had started when he was a child who had never met his father; he had imagined Vegeta's voice to be a mix of loving and gruff, since his mother had built up the image of a man who was 'unique' with how he showed affection. The only memory Trunks had of Vegeta at the time was one single prideful boast the man had made in response to the android threat. "I, the prince of all Saiyans, will not bow down to junk out of a scrap heap!"

That single proclamation of cockiness was all Trunks had. As a child, he tried to follow that memory, to be strong enough to say such things with such assurance. Did that make him crazy? With another kick to the air Trunks landed on the steel floor, the increase in gravity already apparent like a powerful chain sprouting from the ground suddenly and latching on to him. The voice of his father let out a grunt of disapproval at his expense.

After Gohan's death, naturally he found his late mentor's voice adding to the weight on his mind. And really, he was the most annoying. " _It's okay, Trunks. Lots of people let their friends die. I'm not mad. I should have picked a better student"_ Vegeta would tell you how much you screwed up to your face through growls, but Gohan's voice had taken to some passive-aggressive crap that Trunks REALLY did not like. _"Good job with my daughter. She can climb mountains and you only sexually harassed her once! I mean, with you, the path to success is a pretty low bar, but you can still feel achievement with that. Even if she did do most of the work"_

The pressure continued to rise, clutching at his soul, crushing his windpipe, clamping down on his heart. Even after the destruction of Android 18 and 17, he didn't lose his chains, the ghosts of his past failures still gripped at his ankles. Taking away every sense of success he thought he found. There wasn't any peace, or quiet. No matter how high he climbed, no matter what he did, it was never enough. He couldn't escape those voices.

"You can never escape us" Android 18 laughed at his pain, her lips twisting into a sinister grin, offering no time for Trunks to block before her fist slammed into his stomach; sending him backwards. "You're just to pathetic"

His head felt itself slam into the hard metal chest of the brother, 17's eyes lighting up with glee. "Too stupid, too childish" Trunks wanted to raise his arms and fight, but the android had him locked in a pain grip, his arms bent around his back before the Android's foot slammed into the back of his leg. With a sickening crack Trunks felt the impact shatter the join between his knee and thigh, sending him to the floor and leaving the boy hobbling towards the centre of the gravity room where the controls lied.

"Too weak" The two spoke in unison, their voices like a chorus to his failed rhythm, advancing upon his eardrums slowly, their words etching into his heart. "It's your fault, Trunks" They towered over him, their forms fading into red eyed silhouettes that only grew larger with each breath. "But, then again, maybe you wanted it this way" A cold, empty chuckle. No retort offered. "You wanted Gohan dead. He was the one keeping you down, getting in your way, locking away your potential" A flash overtook the two, blinding Trunks. "Without you, he would have had his arm. Without you he would have live"

Their laughs were joined by those of the other androids, the silhouettes of the devil's pair splitting off to form 13's bulking form, 14's short statue, Gero's crooked frame. And so within moments, in a blink of an eye, the Ultimate creation stood its ground before Trunks, a finger outstretched to poke the point on his chest where a hole had once been. "We can see it Trunks. That blood pumping through your veins, that demons in your eye, that poison tearing at your soul. That Saiyan side you've always wanted to unleash. That Gohan locked away"

"I'm a half-breed-"

Another laugh from Cell, the perfect being taking away all the breath Trunks could muster with his very presence. "It may only be half, but it screams, it yearns. Deep down you are a Saiyan. That's why you made me, didn't you?"

"I didn't!"

"Ohhohohoho. But Trunks, was it not you who lured me to a timeline where my full potential could bloom? Was it not your meddling with time that made It possiable for me to 'reunite' with my dear sister and brother? Was it not you who hid your shiny new form so that I could reach a power that could challenge you?" The monster's large tail manifested in his shadow, hanging over him, teasing him. "Without you, I would have never become perfect"

"Without you, I would have lived" Gohan chimed in

"Without you, I wouldn't be disappointed father" Vegeta snarled

"Without you, I would have my loving daddy" Pan yelled through tears

"Without you, I wouldn't have been reactivated" 13's laughter plagued his mind that smirk engraved into his past.

"Without you, life could have been so much more" They all chimed in unison.

"Face it, Trunks" Cell's tail rose up high, the sharp tip gleaming in excitement for the killing blow. Trunks's hand moved up the console of its own volition, gliding across the keyboard. "Without you, everyone would be better off" Trunks's eyes rose to face the gleaming point of the tail as it descended, lunging forward to embed itself in the boy's head. He accepted it, he was ready to feel his life end, but just before the tail hit it's mark his hand slammed down on the off-switch.

In an instant, the red hue was drained away from the room, peeling away the various silhouettes of his nightmares from the tapestry of his failures. The bright colours were replaced with the bland and saturated colour pallet of the grey gravity chamber, the rest of his body collapsing to the floor in a heap of his own sweat, bruises scraping at his upper arm. Yet again, Trunks was left alone, the only company being the cold and unsympathetic air, and his thoughts. All looking down on this pitiful creature.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I just want to make things better. I just want to be with them" His body shook, but his arms were unable to come to his aid as despair pulled at his throat; silencing him. "I'll make things right. I'll make things better. And then I'll go, and I won't trouble this planet any longer"

With his broken leg laying slumped on the floor, and fatigue catching up to his eyes after taking out his muscles, Trunks could only call out into the darkness. "Then can I be free? Can I be forgiven?" And he would never receive a reply.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'd really appreciate it if you left a review, positive or negative. I do read every single one of them, and I do respond via PMs to fully understand where I'm going wrong and what I'm doing right. Next time, we'll be looking in on 16 and the Pilaf Gang. Until then, I hope you all enjoy your days, and don't spontaniously combust (It's a real problem over where I live! People just can't control themselves).**


	24. Under Metal Flesh

"Check #23, the forest south west of Korin Tower. Bring the map up on screen" The tone of the Capsule Corp Heiress was almost robotic whenever she made an order, her eyes not moving from the computer screen as her fingers danced along the keyboard that balanced on her knee, a pen hanging loosely from her mouth. Behind her the Pilaf trio moved around the much brighter lit lab, Pilaf registering the data feeding through the other screen down on a note pad, while Mai and Shu dashed around him to perform the heavy lifting. A computer here, a pipe there, a chair pushed to JUST the right height. All tending to Bulma's convenience.

The screen flashed for a second before the image of map popped into view, a whole diagram of Earths many islands that spanned to the limits of the screen. With a few commands typed into the input on Pilaf's end, the map shifted towards the more dark green cluster of islands in the north-west corner of the map, before dragging it's view closer to zoom in. Pulling into view a more detailed map of a dense area, a few small villages surrounded by a thick sea of green, before opening up to a large open field.

"What are we even looking for?" The small emperor-in-the-making grumbled as the screen zoomed in on the field, revealing a clean view of what looked to be a ruin of sorts. There were crashed planes, structures crumbled to a few broken bricks, and towers split in half and turned on their sides. "This place is a dump, why would a mad scientist keep his lab here?"

"It was the location of Red Ribbon Headquarters back before Goku turned it into rubble. I guess Gero was feeling nostalgic when he scouted locations for his safe houses" The woman bluntly explained, reaching into her open draw, and pulling out a large roll of a blue print, which she quickly chucked over to Pilaf. "Just start up the scanner and look for any traces of structures that match the blueprints"

It had been five hours since Bulma found the time to start her in depth search for any trace of new androids, dusting off the old record of data she had recovered from the last time they sought out Gero's labs. Looking for anything that could have survived her son's destructive visits to the sites. Gero had compiled a very organised database of his many resources, plans and creations. The ones that she could decipher offered her plenty of knowledge that she wish she knew years ago, bombs built into android 18 and 17's chests, the development diary spanning years on the creation of his 'perfect bio-mechanical android', and plenty of details about the android's creation and Gero's obsession with her childhood friend.

"You are take that tone with me, you old hag…" Pilaf grumbled under his breath, treating Bulma like a violent volcano just about ready to explode. "All I'm seeing is rubble" He could tell that she was especially cranky today, always shooting him that glare that burned holes in his clothes, snapping at him any time he asked why they were looking to scrounge up relics of times that no one wanted to remember. All she told them when they arrived with sixteen an hour earlier was that she was looking to take some of Gero's ideas to improve.

In the highly educated opinion of the Earth's rightful Emperor, Pilaf found this prospect suspicious at best. Leading him to madly gesturing for his two servants to come over to him while Bulma buried her head in her work. "Shu. Mai. Report!"

"Report?" Both minions offered only a confused blink at the request

The small goblin creature found himself slamming his foot down like a petulant child, waving his arms around dramatically. "I sent you to snoop around the compound hours ago!"

"Oh! Of course, Sire" Mai's awkward laugh did not reassure the man.

"We just used my good old nose for a while, and searched the joint from top to bottom!" The dog thumped his fist against his chest, announcing his plan with pride. "Specifically, the kitchen. And oh boy, you wouldn't believe what we found, Sire!"

"Well, spit it out!"

"The kitchen… Was very well stocked" Pilaf felt a twitch coming along

"It even had ramen!" Mai exclaimed, a slight drop of drool pooling from the corners of her lips only to receive a flick to the nose from Pilaf.

"I give you a mission so important it could mean life or death for us, and all you did was check out the food supply?" The two had already dropped to their knees in apology, abusing their lungs to cry out their apologies before their emperor. "And… And… AND YOU DIDN'T GET ME ANY!?"

"We're sorry, Sire!"

"So ashamed, sire!"

Their heads hit the floor, pressing their foreheads against their master's feet. "Please don't chop us up into little bits to sate your brave and stunning hunger!"

"Did you at least do something evil?"

Shu brought his head back up, considering the question. "Well… They weren't as well stocked when we left"

"You-" Pilaf began, barely containing his anger, disappointment and growling stomach.

"WE WERE WEAK!" Cried Mai in response

"What else were we supposed to find anyway!?" Shu said between his repeated bowing (All while Bulma was too engrossed in her work to notice)

"Plans, suspisous cargo, a secret stash of dirty magazines. Something about that hag's true intentions!" At the confused glances he received, Pilaf shook his head in dismay. This was why he was the all-knowing emperor they followed so dearly. "She's looking up on Dr Gero's old work? Keeping an ANDROID around her house? It's so obvious. She's planning to finish what Gero started/ She wants to take over the world with a n Android army!"

A gasp from Shu "Wow, really Sire!?"

Followed up by Mai "But the world's YOURS to conquer, Emperor"

"I know!" Standing with his head held high, Pilaf drew his hand up to cup his chin, trying to look 'intelligent' and 'thoughtful'. "It's all clear to me now. First, she builds up an organisation of muscled freaks with power to rival Gods. But seeing this, Gero creates androids to take out the competition, so she manipulates that Son Gohan and indoctrinates her own son to take down the Androids as her little soldiers. And now that she's taken complete control over the world's resources and trust, with all military forces in shambles, she's free to create weapons of mass destruction of her own. That poor kid, Trunks. Doesn't even know he's just being used"

"How diabolical, Sire!" Mai exclaimed, trying her hardest not to look over at Bulma. "I would have never figured that out. You're so smart, Emperor!"

Pilaf takes her by the shoulder and turns her towards the corner of the room where 16 sat with his eyes scanning through a piece of paper. "And it all starts with him… The Ginger!" And only now did Pilaf notice that Shu had moved over to chat with 16 while Pilaf was pulling off his speech.

"Wow, this Eighter guy sure sounds nice!" Mai and Pilaf looked to see Shus tail wagging as he spoke.

For some reason, it felt extremely weird to witness 16 to raise his hand and innocently pet Shu. "You should meet him. He likes dogs, and his friend Snow loves dogs"

At this, Shu turned to Pilaf with stars in his eye, getting down on all fours to beg. "Really?! Sire, can we go to Jingle Village? Can we? Can we? PLEEEAAAAASE!"

"Jingle Village?" Came Bulma's voice cut through their conversation with enough subtlety to send Pilaf jumping. "That's near where Muscle Tower is, isn't it? That was a Red Ribbon Army base. Would be good place to check…" She had turned away from her computer screen now, her chair twisted to face 16. "16, I know you want to read that letter as soon as possible, but I'd appreciate your help at the moment. Found something your unique attributes could help be more convenient"

The android looked up from his letter, nodding furiously. "Of course, Miss Bulma." Before glancing back at the paper for a second. "Eighter has a stamp collection!? I believe I am extremely jealous. How lucky he and Snow are!"

Shu tapped 16 on the shoulder "Maybe you should get yourself a cool hobby to impress him with"

Mai, seemingly forgetting what Pilaf had just finished explaining to her, joined in with an eager smile. "Yeah! You should go collect fish, or take up Bird Watching. I hear knitting is addictive!"

"You really think I could do any of those? And Eighter would be impressed?" 16 pointed to himself, blinking as the only means he had of showing confusion.

"GUYS!" Bulma yelled over them all, her voice turning more serious. "I've been trying to put it nicely, but we have WORK to do" She didn't mean to sound like she was yelling at 16, but she wanted to get this done as quick as possible. The quicker they finish, the quicker a mental load is lifted from her son's back.

Pilaf jumped on the spot again, his survival instincts kicking into gear at the sight of the angered woman, rushing over to the other computer and typing away mindlessly. "Busy, busy. We're very busy!" In his frantic typing, he accidentally managed to bring up a new tab, one of a blueprint with Bulma's notes all over it. "What's this?"

Bulma approached the computer, sighing at the screen "That's just my attempt at trying to develop a way for 16 to be upgraded with the other Android's parts"

"Pffft, sorry to burst your bubble; but this wouldn't work" Pilaf instantly replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know that, I've already tested i-… Wait, how would you know?" Bulma glared down at him suspiciously.

"I've uh… Dabbled with machinery, code and… All that. You know, for curiosity's sake. Not for any evil intention or plans to take over the world. No sir!" He continues scanning through the blueprint and Bulma's notes, shaking his head. "And I just notice that… Well..." He laid on the smug 'Subtlety' "This just isn't possible. Those other two androids were made to be cybernetically enhanced humans. Their parts would mesh well with a fully artificial human, the technology for that hasn't been invented on Earth"

"On… Earth?" Bulma froze in place, catching that look of sudden realisation in her eye. "Of course! How could I be so stupid?"

"You said it, not me!"

She took off back to her desk, kicking her chair over to the side as her fingers slid over the keyboard with a manic grace. "The technology isn't on Earth. But what if we took it from an alien?"

Android 16 was just as confused as everyone else as they all let out one loud "Huh!?"

"Years ago a galactic tyrant called 'Frieza' landed on this planet, he was looking for revenge on a friend of mine, Goku. Long story short, Goku killed him and his men, as well as partly blowing up the ship he came in" She was barely understandable with the sheer speed of how she spoke, different images popping up on the screen in her mad search.

"I think I understand" 16 nodded, recalling Gero's data on that faithful fight with Frieza, where the tyrant and his father were easily crushed under Son Goku's power. "There's a chance that some of that ship is still intact at this very moment. And possibly salvageable for our uses"

"And if we get that salvage, we could upgrade you, and then you could… Help Trunks" There was a renewed sense of vigor in Bulma's limbs, a relief dancing on her fingers. All of which was quickly brought to a screeching halt as soon as she looked up at the screen again. "That isn't a good indication…"

"What?" Pilaf couldn't make sense of the screen

"To make things short: I have a scanner that can detect Frieza's ship, even in its wrecked state. I simply booted p the scanner to find where the ship is, since I can't remember every inch of the wasteland. But…" Bulma stopped

"Oh, I get it!" Said Pilaf

Before Mai pointed out "But if only this Frieza guy came to Earth…"

There was a moment of silence, a grave look of contemplation on Bulma's part. "Then why is the scanner picking up three separate readings from across the world?"

* * *

A mountain. A proud man of dust and stone that has only grown stubborn in his years, reaching the highest peaks, and tickling the sky over a foundation of rock. All brought to ruin, collapsing in on itself in an explosion of debris at Android 15's one crimson blast. He stood at the foot of the what used to be a mountain, rocks raining down around him without him paying the slightest of attention. His hand was held out in a lazy manner, the other hand in his pockets, clutching his addiction.

Through the thick fog of dust (Which did not phase the android in the slightest) he could see the large form of 14 having little trouble in rising to his feet, a blank expression prevailing as a few rocks pounded against his forehead. Not even a dent in the Android's metal flesh after the energy attack. "Good to know neither y'all got ya circuits rusted over the years" 13's voice called with a coy edge. "Was worried I'd have to get ya tuned up after that Pan kid got ya wires twisted"

The man sat quite the way away from the two sparring machines, lounging in a lawn chair (Which neither wanted to ask where he found it) with the tournament poster obscuring his face. "That wannabe martial artist is gonna get squished" 15 curled his hand into a fist, throwing himself to the side as 14 rushed in to get a surprise punch off. Usually, motivating himself to do much 'training' was a hard thing for 15. He was already a powerful android, he didn't need to hone his skills, that's what his CPU chip was for.

But after coming into contact with that… Female, with her blood, every line of code in his mechanical mind screamed for a release of tension that had been building up for centuries. Everything screamed for action, to complete his purpose, to spill the blood of Son Goku. That itch was served through plastering his target's face, the face of his new obsession over everything within punching distance. 14 had her eyes, Goku's eyes, Pan's eyes, Gero's distain.

15 rushed around his enemy grabbing a hold of his long pony tail and pulling the large android into an air spin, sending the man slamming into the ground with enough impact to turn what remained of the mountain into a crater. Before the other android could react 15 was upon him, his feet hammering down upon 14's chest and pinning 14 to the ground.

Pan would be struggling under his feet, completely humiliated and broken, bleeding from her open wounds. Gero in his mind would laugh, he would gloat, he would be calling up to the heavens hoping that Son Goku could see this. It would only need a few more steps for the killing blow. A kick to the throat to watch her drown in her own blood? Atomise the last of the Son Legacy with ki blasts? Or grab her by the throat and let Gero watch the life slowly drain from her eyes. _Then we'll take care of the runt that slaughtered your siblings…_ Gero's voice echoed.

One move and it would be over. It would be over. But this wasn't the target. This was an ally. "Can't kill you. Guess I lost myself there, man" 15 hopped off of 14 with his hands returning to his pockets. "All this waiting is killing me…" He had wanted to pursue Pan as soon as they had realised her identity, crush her while her mother was still there to watch. But Android 13 held him back, 'It aint time for that' he'd said, recovering from his confusion and giving a predatory smile. Gero agreed, Gero wanted humiliation, a spectacle of a defeat that the world tournament would certainly provide.

Even forgetting Gero's sick desires, what Android 13 said, goes. The alien creature that had modified the three androids seemed to have changed their programming, for one reason or another it was decided that 14 and 15 would be naturally subordinate to 13's word. Though now that 15's computer chip looked back on that factoid, 13 was certainly the oddest of their little trio. While there was always something off about his gung-ho attitude and easy acceptance as a mere tool, the final piece was in his reaction to finding the Granddaughter of Son Goku. Excitement.

Like 15, 14 felt that burning rage of Gero hounding for just a drop of revenge against the girl, the programming renewing it's primary objective. Yet the southern android was unusually casual about the whole ordeal. As if he wasn't doing this because it was what he was programmed to do, but because he wanted to. 15's databanks recognised this sort of reaction being a symptom of duty, doing something out of obligation to loyalty.

Thirteen was the one who was completely fine with his situation and had no queries with his metal flesh and role as a tool. Yet, he was starting to seem the most human. Exchanging a look with 14, they both nodded towards each other, their programming registering this trait under 'Dangerous'. Maybe this was why Thirteen was the first of them to be deemed a failure in the first place.

"Oh, and if y'all could keep it down, that'd be nice. The phone line's been getting juicy" The two looked towards their fellow Android, who dropped the poster down onto his lap, allowing them to finally see his face. Revealing to them the gleam of the blue scouter held against the android's ear, his grin stretching to inhuman lengths as multiple loud voices conversed from the scouter's frequency. Three of them were recognisable as those aliens they met in Tunson.

The most alarming voice was the one that the Androids could immediately recognise as having the similar vocal patterns to that of Frieza and King Cold. _"As you can see, I had some… Pleasant company on the journey. She called herself a 'Kai', a term I have not heard before"_

"Ya know, Poppa Gero never raised me to be a gossip" 13 chuckled, the scouter set so that those on the other end of the line could not hear his voice. "But I do believe that I've got just the juiciest details for our bosses"

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed, and if you didn't I hope you tell me where I can improve in the reviews!**


	25. Time Crisis

**For those who haven't seen Super, Ii thought it prpudent to give some context to a few things here that might confuse you in this chapter.**

 **1\. Kais all start as fruit on a mystical tree that grow up into the Kais we see n the show**

 **2\. There are 12 universes, all with their own GOd of Destruction (A self-explanitoy title). eerus is the GOd of Destruction of Universe 7, Goku and Co's Universe**

* * *

Chorona had never encountered home sickness before, never had the chance to, never had the time away to miss the Time Nest. Even in her youngest memories after her 'birth' she remembered sitting under the same blank void behind the filter of the Time Nest's protective barrier. Back then the beautiful surface of this realm entranced her, the water was clear crystal that never moved nor had the capacity to be disturbed. Such a perfect surface preserved in the peak of it's prime.

But then again, back then she didn't have the attention span to notice that the beauty was on in the surface. Back then she had things to distract her, duties to tend to. Back then it had been more than just her master, her and Tokitoki. Back then…. She hadn't had the chance to go outside. Looking into those clear waters now, she could only push into the surface and watch the flaws ignore her. She could only think back to how much she wished this was the sludge water of the swamp, infected with dirt, mold and green.

"It had that strange feeling, like it was alive. I could feel the almost solid lumps in the water slosh around in my hand. It was so gross! But, wonderful" She looked to her side, sighing as her single audience member blinked in confusion. "Have you even been listening to anything I've been saying?"

In response, Tokitoki pushed his beak forward, pecking the ground to her side; a hungry look in it's eyes. "Don't you even start with that, you've already been fed!" The owl unleashed his wings, flapping wildly. "Just listen, my mid-life crisis is more important than your gluttony!" With a shake of his head and an involuntary hoot, Tokitoki returned to being an almost statue-esc pile of golden feathers. "I've never felt homesick, I don't know what it feels like, but I think I am feeling the exact opposite... Out there, there's this wind thing that pulls my hair out of place and makes my clothes move. It's so weird. Sitting here, all I can think about is how much I miss the outside… Is… Is that wrong?

"Should I be happy to be back in here where everything is artificial? Where the only view is of an empty void where all time flows? Where my best friend is a bird who I pretend has a voice? No offense" She felt her hands balling into fists, slamming them into the plain grass, with no dust coming out as a result. "I should be excited that the next eternity I'm going to be sitting in that tower, watching every other person getting damp, coughing out smoke, smelling flowers, hanging out with people. People"

For a moment, she felt her mind linger on a memory of Cooler making an insulting quip at her expense, his lips and eyes aligning with his condescending tone. It felt funny, when it probably should have felt rude and offensive. "I should be ecstatic that one day I'm going to be alone here, waiting for the next apple to drop from the tree so I have someone else to leave with this amazing fate when I'm gone… Because I'll be a Supreme Kai, a super, special important one because I don't have a choice in my future. That's amazing. I'm honoured. I'm sure if my mother wasn't literally a tree, she'd be so proud" She stood up and forced a smile onto her face, Tokitoki jumping up to perch himself on her shoulder. Her foot kicked at the water before she turned away, pushing on towards the tower in the centre of the Time Nest. She needed something to distract her, she didn't want time to think anymore.

She did not miss the outside. She did not miss the mud. She did not miss the wind. She did not miss the trees. She did not miss Cooler. She did not miss her only day of freedom. She was happy. Because if she wasn't, she would be spitting in the face of the man who raised her from birth. And he'd been spit upon enough.

Within the Time Vault she could see that he was already hard at work, his tall form slowly circling the large bubble that contained the strange crystal that caused the rift. In one hand he held an open book, and the other was outstretched, an open palm facing the bubble and reciting different spells at the crystal to see how it reacted. "Any news, Master?" She didn't knock, she didn't wait, she just wanted to start the conversation quickly.

"While the origins of this strange crystal are only theories at the moment, I find it safe to say that this is heavily connected to disturbances to the timelines. And that this is certainly not the only one of its kind" He spoke softly, many questions and no definitive answers on his mind. Chorona hoped he didn't see the small look of joy she couldn't hold in at that ending fact. _If there's more of them, would that mean more scouting missions?_ Which instantly made her feel guilty and want to slap herself for such terrible thoughts. Crystals bad.

"That's terrible news. As long as those crystals are there, time's getting distorted, right?" She brought up the negative and fought focus solely on that this was a bad thing.

Her master sighed "I'm afraid so. To put it simply, these crystals are like a symptom of disease, their distortions caused by the changes prior made to history by other time travellers" He let his hand drop to his side, closing the book with a sharp frown. "But if it is caused by the previous changes to history… Then our situation is grim, indeed"

"What do you mea-"

"Chorona, we have monitored every single time traveller and the events they have changed to this date. And yet only NOW are these crystals appearing. Why only now? Why not when the first Time Traveller from Universe 12 set off to manipulate events so that he may usurp the then current God of Destruction?" Chorona took a thinking stance and raked her brain for answers. _What is different between then and now? Multiple changes. But what implications could there be that could frighten my maste-_ Then it dawned on her. That couldn't be good. "Maybe time is only reacting now because it is getting tired of mortals tearing it in two. Maybe, it is only at this point that it is starting to grow unstable with the timelines and rifts created"

The room had nothing else but them to create sound, and yet Chorona felt like it had suddenly grown silent. "So, if we gather all these crystals, everything gets better; right!?"

It did not make her feel better when his expression only became grimmer. "It is possible. But I have nothing definitive here. We could already be too late. This event is unprecedented, so there's no prior experience to get more concrete answers from. We can only… Hope that our best works"

Chorona took a moment to sigh, bringing her hands up to wipe across her forehead. "Well, at least we kind of have a solution. But how can we collect these things? I was only lucky that it stopped screwing with the environment when I captured it. I thought it might have been related to the Yardratians me and Cooler defeated in the rift…"

"That is the odd thing about these crystals. They don't just distort the landscape around them, it seems that however they are created they are formed out of fractures in history. They are a literal error in existence itself, a tear in time, which must be why they are able to open rifts into other parts of history of which it copies into its own closed off area outside of time" He moved past her, gesturing to the scroll that still pulsated with purple aura. "If someone utilised these right, they could possibly use it to open their own rifts in time, copy history, and use the energy bursting within to add to their own power. In this instance, it powered up those yardratians. Maybe if given enough time, the crystal itself could maybe adapt an image of people and grow it's own twisted sentience"

"And in the wrong hands, that could be disastrous…"

"Which makes me wonder. The person who caused the last change before these appeared… Was their aim to get these? Or was this simply an unintentional consequence?" The Supreme Kai of Time couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this, that there was an angel he had yet to cover. Most of what he was suggesting her was a theory at best, with little defining evidence, and yet still his thoughts lingered.

"You're the Supreme Kai of Time, if anyone should know about these things, it would be you. And since you don't, no random mortal should know, should they?"

"That's exactly what has me afraid, Chorona"

* * *

In the shadow of the void the crystals glowed the brightest, hovering over a calm sea, a blank slate. They like diamonds of pure blue, images of cataclysms dancing in the corner of their reflections, a mirror held up against the stream of history. Everything below them could be mistaken for one great expanse of a hollow realm. No aspect of life was invited into the cold atmosphere, for an endless out of order row of similar diamonds spiralled outwards towards a glimmering horizon they'd never reach.

But the realm did move, it did change, it did have it's patterns. The colours of it's unreachable boundaries shifted every so often, from a dark mixture of blue and purple, towards a bright and foreboding filter of gold and crimson. Both colour schemes had a way of disorientating people, traversing any length of the realm would feel pointless as you'd only get so far before your stomach starts to twist and your eyes start to wonder if you had even moved from your last spot.

Sometimes, the crystals would shift in colour to reflect the mood of the realm, to reflect history's mind scape. From a soft blue to a warm and welcoming red that threatened to suck you in, linger too long and it would absorb you into its folds like quicksand. The world that existed outside of the boundaries of time was like a living breathing beast, it had it's needs and it had it's instincts. But not even the base level of free intelligence. It only had one concept, survival.

And from the depths of the abyss the sole inhabitant of the realm rose, his form barely visible from the sheer speed in which he leaped from crystal to crystal, like electricity phasing through power lines over stepping stones. There were no directions, the demon has learned that in this realm there was no centre. Forwards is backwards, west is east and over is into. It was a disorientating struggle to keep a sense navigation, but a few years in this hell made the mental trickery poultry compared to the rest of the experience.

Feeling the immense power of his pursuer closing in, the demon reached up to grab the end of the crystal above him, kicking off his feet and rotating with the crystal. Just as his legs flipped over and his feet collided with the top of the crystal, he felt his foe streak past him, and as he regained his balance perched upon the tip of the crystal he witnessed his foe swerved to face him.

His body demanded rest, this fight had been a struggling endurance test for hours, but he couldn't rest, no now. The pain dug into his skin, with one glance he could see crystal freezing over his wounds and pouring into his bones. The strange atmosphere here sometimes offered a harrowing period where time would freeze over any participant that wasn't strong enough to push through. If you stayed still, you were dead. If you were too weak, you were dead. If you couldn't summon the ki to keep your body protected, you were dead.

He had to move, he had to attack.

Thankfully, looking into the sneering eyes of Beerus the destroyer was all the demon needed to motivate his body to power through. A few of the crystal shifted to a subdued orange in reflection of the fury pumping through his min at the thought of that painful memory, the crystal digging into his skin shattering as he powered up, leaping off and charging at the manifestation of the destroyer god. By bodily urges alone, his fists came forward like charging bulls, horns beating against Beerus's body, brutal and unrelenting. The God could do nothing against the unrelenting barrage.

Beerus fell upwards, his perspective shifting into a spiral dive through the maze of blue and orange. The demon closed in from behind, ki blasts flashing for a moment before leaping from his hand and raining down on the God like a hail of energy. But by this point, Beerus regained his senses and swung upwards, which was to the side, dancing through the blasts in a graceful spin. All before he landed on a platform, blue crystal formed from time freezing a connection between multiple crystals; like a suspended platform.

The demon landed in front of the source of his pain, the trigger of his greatest failure. The crystal twisted around them to form spikes and pitfalls for their battleground, a group of a smaller crystals falling from above (Or below?) and stabbing into the ground around them. They shifted, their reflection forming familiar scenes. It made it hard for the demon to keep his gazed locked don his enemy.

Rushifa had lost count of how many times he had fell at this situation's feet, nor how much time had passed since he was first imprisoned. His once refined light grey skin had become as white as snow, the complexion of marble with flesh as tough as katchin. The once amber softness of his eyes had succumbed to his savage urges over the years, reduced to blood red slits. If there was any consolation, it was the remarkable endurance of his black and gold gi as well as the power radiating from his towering form.

The power formed from every second of hell. Every second of the crystal freezing over him, freezing under his flesh, making it feel like insects had wormed their way into his body before deciding to scratch, rip and naw at the inner wall of his skin for a way out. This power forged through the death of his humanity, the power that would help him take down the Gods…

Around him, yet again he was faced with the crystals of his misfortune, like mirrors reflecting his regrets. Constantly taunting him by surrounding him with his failures. IN one, he could see the glimmering images of the memorial graveyard to his loyal followers, on another he witnessed his younger self cradling an older demon in his arms in the middle of a battlefield.

He took off quickly, pushing out his ki to peel away any more chunks frozen over his body, passing by the reflection of Prince Dabura holding him by his throat. He couldn't afford to be that weak again. He couldn't lose here.

Beerus slammed his foot into the ground, smashing through a piece of the platform and using the momentum and power of the kick to send the broken pieces upwards, where he casually pushed his leg into a whirl of multiple kicks; sending each broken piece of crystal shooting towards Rushifa like jagged spikes. This time, Rushifa didn't listen to that sense of panic, throwing himself forward into a hand stand; pushing off his hand with as much force as he could muster. This sent him sailing over the spikes and allowed his foot to slam into the back of Beerus's head, the so-called God now stumbling forward.

His eyes narrowed, a hint of enjoyment flickering on his tongue like a drug. It was an addiction he desperately wanted to ignore. He did this because he had to, not because he enjoyed it. Either way, it was time for the killing blow.

Beerus swung around and attempted a quick punch, but he never had a chance as Rushifa ducked under the punch and slamming a blue ki blast into Beerus's shoulder, completely shattering his arm into chunks of crystal. While the cat was distracted with his lost limb, Rushifa rolled past his opponent, turning to face Beerus's back and with no hesitation he sent his foot full force into the back of Beerus's leg.

Rushfia didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to accept the need, but he wanted to hear that sickening crack of a broken bone or a gasp of shock and pain from Beerus. He wanted the satisfaction of hearing the bastard realise that he'd been beaten. But no, there was no screams, no cracks, no bones, no sense of emotion. Just the shattering of the crystal creature. Because it wasn't real, it was simply a pale imitation of the real thing.

As Beerus's body collapsed to the ground, Rushifa made sure to finish him off quickly and stamp the cat's head into a million pieces. Hoping to finish it before that side of him asked for a chance of prolonging the end. He almost made the mistake of talking to the crystal again, of treating it like the real thing, but he wouldn't give it the satisfaction. He was shaken, but this place hadn't broken him yet.

"Soon… Please, Yarimasu, I need to escape" Their mental connection was weak, most of the time neither was strong enough to maintain it, but those moments of talking to an actual person were complete bliss. "I fear what this hell will turn me into" To his surprise, the atmosphere died down, the freezing hours no longer a problem for now.

But before he could get comfortable one last crystal fell before him, almost rivalling him in height, a glimmer caught in his eyes. Before him, the reflection twisted and moulded itself in a way he had not seen before. The colours shifted back and forth at an ever-increasing speed, not soft, subtle or ordered, just chaotic. Almost explosive. By the end of it all he wasn't faced with a reminder of his past, nor a scene from someone else's history, but one sole image.

A boy. _No…_ He narrowed his eyes. _A Saiyan. That Saiyan._ The ball-cut, oddly coloured hair. The left-over jacket of his mother. The sword. Oh yes, Rushifa recognised this one. He had never met the boy, but he had watched in the shadows, peaking from behind the curtains. "Trunks…"

Why was he being shown this?

The question tugged and pulled at his skin, to the point he could swear he wasn't alone in the realm, as if somebody was standing right next to him; laughing. That had to be just his mind again. But the more Rushifa looked at the boy's face, bearing the trade mark smirk of his prideful father, the more Rushifa felt something stir from within him. But he didn't know what. Anger? Annoyance? Pain? Fear? Whatever it was, it was roaring, crying out for action, yelling at the void. It made his body shake, it made his nerves flair.

With thinking Rushifa's growled at the image and in a split second his fist smashed into the boy's face, reducing the crystal to a pile of shattered pieces on the floor. And it left Rushifa shaking, like he was suddenly over taken by an adrenalin rush he couldn't control. _Why… Wha- What came over me?_

His gaze was compelled back towards the ground, where the shattered remains of the crystal lay in a heap. He looked to see if the image was still imprinted on the shattered pieces, but… All he could see was his shattered reflection staring straight back up at him.

"Maybe my mind is trying to tell me something… Something buried under the paranoia…" He couldn't break his gaze, his mind trying to piece together a justification. "Yes, Trunks. You kill be my first kill"


	26. Old Habits Die Hard

"Hello and welcome to the grand re-opening of the OFFICAL 24th World Martial Arts Tournament. It is an absolutely stunning day to celebrate this momentous occasion. And believe me, nobody is more excited for this huge turnout than me!" Throughout the tournament grounds of Paypaya Island, newly installed speakers repeated the Tournament Announcer's words, his voice sounding just as pumped with energy and excitement as Pan had heard on the video recordings of past tournaments. But she couldn't blame him, she was just as excited, so much so that Grandma ChiChi had to push her down to stop her from shaking with anticipation. "All seeking to participate in the main event, please note that registration is now open and will close in two hours! To the rest of you, please enjoy this magnificent event for all it's worth with the various attractions built round the island"

Speaking of her Grandmother, Pan tore her eyes away from all the potential fighters she could point out in the crowd, looking up at the old woman. Chichi was practically giddy. It was a strange sight, but not an unwelcome one. After the deaths of so many family members left the woman widowed and alone, Pan was shocked to even see the woman here. Pan loved her grandmother, that was always a fact (She baked some damn good cookies!), she loved seeing Chichi happy. But it was an almost disturbing contrast to the rather depressed woman hiding behind a chipper mask Pan had heard all those stories of Goku from.

"He's not wrong. We're getting some really good weather today!" Chichi had been taken aback since they had gotten off the plane (Pan had complained that they could have just flown, but according to her grandmother, that wouldn't have been traditional), overwhelmed by a wave of nostalgia. "You'd never be able to tell that this place had been abandoned for 25 years. Everything looks so smooth and fres- Oh, and can you just smell the fresh paint! It's just like how I remembered it"

Pan had to hold in her laughter at just how enchanted Chichi's voice had become walking down memory road "There's no way you remember it all down to the smell, Granny" As they moved forward they were faced with an overwhelming number of merchant carts littering the open field area of the tournament grounds, which Pan considered a literal sea of opportunity for her stomach.

One stall in particular caught Chichi's eye, bringing the two to a stop as she pointed towards an ice cream cart. "They even bought back 'Phils', and the banner's still misspelt" She started giggling, though before long her laughter faded into a longing stare. "I remember Goku dropping his cone on my head by accident"

"Oh yeah. The Tournament was where Grandpa first proposed to you, right?" Pan hadn't really put that much thought into Chichi's recollection of that fateful match, mostly because she was a little girl excited about the green alien giant named after instruments when she was listening to that story.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. The cheering audience, the delightful announcer, oh…" Chichi threw her head into her palms, cheeks reddening as she bashfully reminisced. "The bruises from our fight hadn't even faded, and yet he was already telling me about his heart. SO ROMANTIC!"

Pan had her arms back behind her head casually, leading Chichi over to the ice cream vendor. She was hungry, and her mother was currently busy with an offer of 'Free Alcohol Samples' on the other side of the tournament. "It must have been weird fighting your boyfriend"

"Not at all, Pan! All couples have to fight sometimes, it's practically flirting" Pan had a feeling that something was off about that statement. But Chichi was the one who married and had a son, so she probably knew better.

"Really? All the dates I've had always ended because I wanted to fight…" Her face tightened into a sceptical look, with Chichi merely shook her head at with a 'knowing' shake of her head.

"That just means that they are not the ones for you. If your significant other can't handle you physically, how can they handle you as a person?" Oof, there's that 'don't take notes' feeling again. _Maybe ice cream would help this feeling fade._

"Words to live by, Grandma" In a matter of seconds, the two had arrived at the ice cream vendor, greeted by a friendly pink haired woman. In Pan's opinion, you can always trust a person with a sweet hair colour to make great ice cream. "OOooo, Grandma; let's get a quadruple sundae cone!" Pan's finger was extended, her mouth agape with a gasp as she enthusiastically prodded the large image of the ice cream on the options board. White, Pink, blue and green? She didn't know anything about flavours, but those colours looked tasty!

"Funny, that was Goku's favourite…"

"Approved by my great grandpa? That makes me want it more! Please, Grandma! Please!" Watching what was supposed to be a grown and mature adult, begging, and moaning like a child for an ice cream cone… Well, that was a wave of nostalgia that threatened to knock Chichi off balance. Only giving the woman a chance to shake her head and think _I can never say no in these situations. I never learn._

Minutes later Pan was already licking away at her new treat, her tongue lapping up the peak of 'ecstasy'. Chichi shook her head. "You're getting it all over your face! Did Videl not teach you any manners?"

Pan shrugged, the tip of the highest cream peak poking at her nose. "I'm a fighter in need of energy, Grandma. I'm like a starving man getting the first drop of water he's had in weeks"

"That's not ho-"

"Oh, look! A bunny! IT'S SO FLUFFY!" With a restrained sigh, Chichi turned to the next attraction that had caught Pan's gleeful attention. _The attention span of a gold fish, I swear…_ It was a, anthropomorphic bunny, some sort of animatronic Chichi guessed. It's bright pink fur stood out in the mix of orange, yellow and green the rest of the grounds had going on. Pan, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice anything off about a human sized rabbit who could speak fluent English, hopping over to the bunny to shake it's hand. "My name is Pan, what's yours?"

"Hi, my name is Bobo. You are my best friend!"

The bunny's stiff hands closed around Pan's open palm, prompting her to vigorously shake his hand. "Oh, I'm sorry. I already have a best friend, and I don't think you can have two besties. That's like a rule or something. And I don't want to cheat on anyb- OH GOD!" In an unsurprising display of short sightedness, Pan's careless handshake was forceful enough to rip off the Bunny's hand, leaving her to jump back in shock and horror. "I'M SO SORRY!" Before completely turning to the opposite direction, grabbing Chichi's hand and bolting away from the 'scene of the crime'. "If anyone asks, he was a secret spy android bunny!"

"Pan-" Before she could register the person calling her name, Pan found herself coming to a sudden stop as she crashed against a wall of flesh and muscle. Her head whined in pain at the impact, it felt like she was running face first into a brick wall. "What… What did you just say?" Looking up she was greeted by Trunk's concerned gaze. It might have just been the dizziness of slamming into the man, but it looked like he was sweating profusely. Like he was agitated, or scared.

"Oh, Trunks; didn't see you there… Uh… Sorry" She felt his hand clasp around her shoulders, steadying her.

"Pan. What were you saying before you ran into me?"

He suddenly grew suspicious. Why did he sound so… Worried? "Huh? I was just talking about the bunny I disme- I mean, about that bunny animatronic that some VANDLE mercilessly dismembered. I'll tell ya, the World Tournament is a sick place sometimes. Why?"

And just like that he fell calm, quickly pulling away from Pan and letting out a brief sigh of relief. "OH… I just… I thought you mentioned andr-… I thought you said something else" Instant change in demeanour. Now, Pan wasn't an expert on social interaction (In fact, you could say that Trunks and 16 being her only real friends speaks volumes about her social skills), but something was clearly putting Trunks on edge.

Maybe she should offer him ice cream, that solves everything.

"Trunks?" She reached for his hand, recalling that this was what most people thought of as a gesture of comfort. "You okay? You seem a be in 'Just-had-a-nightmare' mode"

He swayed for a moment, looking a bit distant, like he hadn't heard her at first. But soon his eyes flicked over to her, his body lazily swaying like a drunk man. "I'm fine, Pan. Just a little tired, that's all. Mom kept me up all night with her latest experiment… UH, speaking of that, she won't be coming to watch you in the tournament. She's got very important plans underway"

The corners of her lips fell into a rigid frown. It was clear that Trunks wasn't telling the whole truth, which also meant he was partly lying to her. _Does that mean he doesn't trust me? No, no, no… It's just that it's something he doesn't want to say in front of other people, right? I'll bite his ear off about it later. No sense is prying right now._ And grunt alerted Pan to the other person present, poking her head around Trunks's tall frame she spotted her mother close by, stumbling a bit. "And speaking of mothers, you've found mine"

He glanced back, recollection reaching his face as he nodded. "I caught her threatening someone at their stall"

Videl tried to cross her arms and glare, a task made harder with the constant fight for balance as her legs wobbled. "The sign said, 'Free Samples', not ONE free sample! That clerk was trying to rip me off" She didn't seem completely drunk, her speech being fine at least.

"Are you kidding me?" Chichi's scolding voice made pan jump, she had forgotten the woman was there. "I can't believe you. Your sweet little daughter is preparing for her big day today, and you're drinking?!"

"The registration period doesn't end for another two hours, I need something to entertain myself with" There was a fire already brewing between the two as their eyes locked onto one another in a scornful glare. "What I don't need is some Old Lady lecturing me. I can handle my alcohol!"

"What did you just call me!?" Nostrils flaring, veins bulging, Chichi stomped over to the unphased Videl, making sure to get right up in the woman's face. "I'll have you know that most people don't see age. Especially for one as YOUNG looking as me"

"When did over 100 become the new young?"

"I can see where Pan gets her attitude from!" Chichi snarled, the two woman practaclly forehead-to-forehead, like two bulls locking horns.

"Don't bring me into this" Pan and Trunks distanced themselves from the two angry woman, Pan was just happy to have her ice cream.

"When Mom said Chichi and Videl didn't get along, I thought she was joking…" Trunks scratched his head at the scene, worried that he might have to step in before they get past name calling and rip each other's heads off.

"Ah, I'm sure they like each other enough. This is just…" She pursed her lips as she spotted Chichi pulling up her sleeve to wind up a punch, making Pan laugh nervously. "Uh… How they show affection?" By now, Videl had grabbed a hold of Chichi's arm, attempting to throw the woman oer her shoulder. "They'll be fine!"

"If you-" Trunks paused for Chichi to result to biting. "-say so." His hands returned to his pockets, bringing Pan's attention to the large weapons hanging from his back. She couldn't remember when he got the sword, but she only now realised he was rarely seen without the weapon slung around his shoulders.

"Why'd you bring a sword to a tournament about hand-to-hand combat?" She pointed towards the hilt poking out from behind his neck, where she could see old green leather wrapped around the handle.

"My sword?" He blinked at her in confusion, his hand darting upwards to grab the hilt, his eyes widening as soon as his fingers brushed up against it. Had he not even realised he still had it? "I guess I've had it so long that it's a part of me…" His fingers wrap around the leather, forming a tight grip on the weapon. It made him smile. "In some ways, it gives me comfort, confidence. Like I always have someone watching my back. An old friend"

Pan seemed less accepting of this answer, her eyebrows raising as she spoke "You're putting a lot of stock into an oversized tooth-pick that breaks every other week" She inched forward on one foot, pushing herself up on her toes to jab her finger into Trunks's cheek. "Especially when you have me RIGHT here"

"You?"

"Confidence and Comfort? I was born in all that!"

For a moment his gaze went down, his jaw slacked a bit and a drowsy cloud hung over his head. His eye went back to Pan, a serious stare as a memory played through his mind. "I'm sorry, Pan, but… No. You're not"

"What's that supposed to me-" Before the words could leave her mouth a loud barrage of yells ("Hey, stop him!") seemed to drown out her voice, directing Trunks's gaze away from her. She tried to voice her question yet again, but it seemed the rushing of footsteps closing in on her and boyish laughing stopped Trunks from hearing her.

And by the third attempt Pan had forgotten about what she was trying to say as a body slammed into her smaller frame. The obviously taller boy reacted like he hit a steel fence rather than a smaller girl, the momentum of his run sending him tumbling over her and onto the floor, muttering to himself about Pan 'watching where she was going'. Being the stronger than life warrior she was, the boy's collision barely made her flinch. However, the surprise of it all did cause her hand to instinctively open; letting her ice cream cone fall to the ground.

"You… You…" She felt so small suddenly, just her staring down at the gruesome remains of one delicious treat. The grief of it all forcing her to her knees, letting her get a closer look at the sullied corpse. "You murdered my cone! THAT WAS MY ICE CREAM!"

"What's the big deal, you bonehead!?" The murderer sneered.

"Pan?" Trunks took a step back, his tone worried as he saw Pan shaking. "Are you okay?" Saiyans were very protective of their food. Before he immediately slammed his mouth shut as Pan's head snapped up to let the boy get a good look at the near psychotic glare she was sending his way.

"Are you blind AND stupid?"

A raging fire burning in her eyes as she got to her feet. Slowly at first, her face switching from anger to teetering on tears and back to anger with ease. "Put up your dukes!"

"Put up my wh-"

"I said PUT UP YOUR DUKES BECAUSE I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR DUKES OFF AND BEAT YOU WITH THEM!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, causing many members of the crowd who were watching the scene unfold, jump away in frights. "You ice cream murdering ninny!" She felt chunks of the ground pulled into the air as her aura swirled around her.

At this point the boy was backing away, slowly realising that there might have been something a tad wrong with this woman. He had no chance to get away as he witnessed Pan immediately charging towards him without hesitation. And just before her fist came into contact with his face, he shut his eyes tightly and hoped it would end quickly. He just stole some watches; did he really deserve this?

But the punch never came. No pain, no bleeding, nothing but the screams of the girl "Trunks! Let go of me! I have to avenge my cone!"

Slowly, the thief opened his eyes, peeking through the space between his arms that he threw up as some make shift shield. As implied, Trunks was holding Pan back by the scuff of her shirt, pinching te bridge of his nose and sighing. "I'll buy you a new cone! You can't just assault somebody for accidentally bumping into you"

At the mention of a replacement cone, the girl's blinding rage immediately drained away, making way for a bright smile and a hopeful "Really!?" And as the thief made his way away from his brush with physical torment, he decided that maybe this was the world's way of telling him that he needed to stop shoplifting.

Trunks had to take a moment to cringe, groaning at his predicament. "Yes, yes, just stop trying to attack people. Save it for the tournament!" With a small moment to make sure she had calmed down, Trunks let go of her shirt. "You can't go five minutes without stirring something up"

And she just gave him that classic Son grin. "That's why we're best buds, Trunksie"

"Trunksie?" He cringed.

"Yup" Her grin then morphed into one that Trunks was tempted to call shit-eating and condescending.

"Please tell me that isn't your nick name for me" He hoped his mother never heard of this, she'd never let it go.

"Well, I've been thinking. That's just one in a list. There's also Trunky, T-man, Mr. T, Big T, Tr-"

"No. Never again. Please, for the sake of my dignity"

"But-"

"Drop it, or I'm not giving you your present" That got her attention, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of a gift.

"Gimme! Gimme!" Reverting back to her child-like mannerisms, she began to jump up and down on the spot. _Is it food? It has to be food. Bulma's food is the best!_ Her anticipation rose as Trunks dug into his pockets, pulling out a capsule. _OOoooo, it has to be something big. Trunks wouldn't use a capsule if he could just carry it by hand, right?_ Her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets upon Trunks hitting the release button and chucking the capsule up in the air… And then her eyes proceeded to only shrink in size as she witnessed a rather flexible and small parcel wrapped up with string fall out of the ensuing smoke and into Trunks's hands. "Trunks… I love you and all, but… Nobody wants socks in a gift"

"It's not socks!"

"Then what is it?"

"Open it!" He insisted, to which Pan only rolled her eyes, her fingers lazily digging into the shoddy packaging. Even without using her super strength the material broke apart like mash potato. But she came to a halt upon catch a sneak peak of an orange glow.

"No way…" She felt something rise up in her throat, a need to squeal? A need to laugh? A need to look back to her childhood?

"I assumed you didn't have any official fighting gear of your own…" She completely pulled apart the packaging to reveal a bright orange gi unfolding in her arms, clearly heavily copying the appearance of her father's od gi. "So, I went to Master Roshi and asked him to help me create a gi similar to the ones all Turtle Hermit students wear. You know, like Goku. Though the emblem on the chest area is empty since you don't really have an official school you're learning from"

"Trunks…" She pulled out the gi to let it dangle in it's full glory. Below it she could see Trunks even went through the trouble of making the blue undershirt for her. Jus the sight of the gi sent her emotions into overdrive, after so long she could hear her father's voice by her side once more, proudly encouraging her after five-year-old Pan proclaimed she'd be a strong fighter too (After breaking the coffee table). Her fingers gripped the fabric, tears welling up in her eyes. She could hear him laugh. She could feel his hand on her shoulder.

Without a second thought Pan threw herself at Trunks in a wild tackle/embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest, almost knocking the man over. Muffled sobs of 'Thank you!' could be heard as her hands searched for new ways to painfully hug the man. "I'm hoping that means you like it. I thought maybe the familiar gi would make sure you feel confident when you get on the tournament stage"

"I don't know what to say besides- Thank you!"

"You've been training all this time to be a fighter, a damn good one at that. You deserve to at least look the part, don't you?" Trunks tried to softly push the girl off of him. Don't get him wrong, Pan was quite the hugger, but she was starting to stain his shirt…

"I guess" She leaned back with a smile, sniffling. "I'll go put it on right wa- Wait a minute..." She stopped, staring at Trunks sceptically. "How did you know my measurements?"

Before Trunks could respond the speakers started up again. "This is a reminder to all who wish to participate in the tournament: Sign Ups for the tournament will be closing in an hour, so you better get over here quickly!"


	27. The Face Stealer

**I **acknowledge** that there was a slip up in the last chapter in regards to the portrayal of Pan. I did not wish to make her too childish, simply harken back to her initial experience with the Tournament seen in the 'End Of Z' using the excitement she has for the tournament as an excuse for her actions. I'll try to better this as I go on, thank you all for pointing it out to me.  
**

* * *

It was a strange experience for Pan, looking down at the bundle of cloth in her hands. It felt nostalgic, despite her never wearing the gi before, like a long-lost friend you never knew you had until they came back. Maybe a memory triggered that was too lost in her mind for her to pinpoint. "Urg, look at me. Getting all soft over some cloth" She muttered to herself, finally dropping the bundle back onto the bench, pulling apart the string binding it and spreading out the various pieces.

She was alone in the tournament changing rooms, every other competitor arriving already suited up in their costumes or gi. To be honest, it embarrassed her a bit, being the unnecessary odd one out. Reminded her of being the one person to forget to make a card for her mother's birthday party. The lighting didn't make it any better, it might have just been her mind but the sole source of light seemed to form a spotlight directed over her, leaving her on the sole island in a sea of shadows. This is why she still kept her night light. "When did I admit to myself that such small things bothered me?"

First, her hand reached for the baggy orange bottoms, the cloth only seeming to shimmer in the light. It was warm to touch, soft fabric that curled around her fingers, and as she slipped her feet into the leg, that warmth blossomed into confidence. As if someone was whispering encouragement in her ear.

The light shifted, a groan of metal like nails on a chalk board. Pan stopped, casting her gaze back around the room. Still empty. The wind must have pushed something.

Returning to her gi, Pan took a moment for a deep breath, pulling up the blue undershirt next. As the shirt came over her head, her ears wiggled at the distinct creak of the door. Her body snapped to face the door, her feet pushing her back towards the bench. All at once that encouraging voice turned into a cynical giggle, all at once something bubbled in the pit of her stomach, something that made her feel sick. Something was wrong.

Her eyes found sanctity in the gleam of the floor tiles. There was comfort in the clear surface, distraction in the small cracks. "It's just nerves. Keep your eyes on the floor, put everything else on and leave. You'll be fine" Pan couldn't tell if she thought that or said it out loud, but her mind was too rushed to care.

Sweaty palms rushed to put on the rest of the outfit, once again finding comfort in the glow of the gi. For a moment that nostalgia washed over her again, wrapping around her in a warm embrace as she pulled the top over her head. The fear had lapsed, her hands took it slow grabbing the belt, but her gaze remained locked to the ground.

Where she could clearly see her shadow, quite the few inches away from the edge of the light circle, she only just began to notice the gradual formation of another shadow. One that was just a bit taller than her, but with much more wild hair. And as she tightened the belt in a knot, she found comfort in the shadow, a familiar comfort. The encouragement continued.

 _Papa?_

And in a blink of an eye the shadow had changed, the shape flipping itself around completely, as if a person was standing opp- "Greetings!" And all Pan could do was scream as her body slammed into the bench, smashing it into a million pieces. "Has my sudden appearance startled you, little one?" As far as Pan could understand, the voice was both feminine and not at the same time.

"I ju- What?" Pan could barely speak in between breaths, her behind groaning at her sudden collapse to the floor. Despite the glare of the light that was now shining directly down on her eye, Pan could make out the form of a woman now standing in front of her, an inhumanly wide smile straining her flesh.

"Then again, I suppose that with as long a life as I, everyone's age would be considered barely out of the womb in comparison" She let out high pitched laugh that immediately grated on Pan's ears, as if she had made some sort of clever joke. "You do have the ability to speak. Do you not?"

Everything about this woman felt off at best and unnerving at worst. The complexion of her skin looked similar to a mime's, powdered to an unnatural pale tone, looking less like flesh and more like plastic, threatening to blend in with her unmoving eyes. "I can speak fine, I was just… Surprised" It looked as if the girl was moving to hep Pan to her feet, but that just made Pan jump up faster, something inside her telling her she did not want the woman touching her. _When did I get so nervous?_

"Oh, my best and worst apologies, Miss Pan. I was merely admiring the scene before me. You were alone, and the lighting so perfect, in the moment I saw small time to create a dreaded atmosphere!" In that moment, the voice slipped, a much more man-ish one hanging on the edge of the woman's sentence as she clapped her hands together. "Did it prove too effective?"

"I'm fine!" Pan reaffirmed, quickly thinking to change the topic "Are you fine? I mean, with your skin being so pale and all"

"Pale?" The woman blinked in utter confusion before casting her gaze down to her hand where she could indeed see that her skin tone wasn't as dark as she thought. _Does she not know what she looks like?_ "Oh, skin disease. Who knew? But certainly adds to the shock value. Nihehehehehe" And of course she had a strange sounding laugh to boot.

"You didn't HAVE to scare me"

"I have a weak spot for dramatics, dearie. When I see such little time for perfection… Well, I don't like to waste time. Unlike so many others"

 _Who talks like that?_ Pan let the thought keep her nerves at bay, stepping away as the woman tried to come closer, violet pigtails bouncing from side-to-side. "But then, what would you know about that? You have such energy, such…" Her silver eyes looked at Pan in an almost hungry manner. "…Youth. Why, you have such little past to hold you down at the moment. I'm jealous. Such freedom from the chains of time"

Now that the woman was getting uncomfortably close, forcing Pan to blindly back away at a pace that would break through the wall, Pan started to realise why the woman felt so off. She didn't look human, she looked like a human-sized doll. A lifeless puppet with a bunch of accessories and motionless facial features. "Uh, well, it's been nice talking to you-"

"Kasonna, dear"

"Kassy, can I call you Kassy? I'm sure you have a lot of cool time poetry stuff to talk about, but I'm sure the preliminaries are gonna start soon. Maybe I'll see you in the ring!" Pan managed to turn herself towards the door, trying to sound as casual as she could. If there was something off with this woman, she didn't want to set her off. And if there wasn't, she didn't really want to be mean to the woman just because for some reason she was suddenly nervous. _A lot is going on today, that's all. I'm just overwhelmed by the Tournament. I'll forget about all these nerves and stuff when I hit the ring and get my head clear._

"Oh yes, a fight the ring is a very personal matter. One can learn much about a person through the way they fight" From where Pan walked, Kassona's voice came off more like an echo, slowly fading away with the howl of the open window's draft. "And I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other, Son Pan"

With an awkward smile and a wave, Son Pan disappeared from view and politely closed the door behind her, leaving the woman to let out a sigh of relief. "Oh my, that was utterly unbearable. I thought I was going to faint from stage fright! How did I do?" She dug her fingers into her unusually deep pockets, pulling out a variety of finger puppets placed delicately on her left set of fingers.

"You were brilliant! Best performance I've seen in years!" The pinky finger dressed in pink cloth and makeup was always Kasonna's favourite. "It almost made me weep… But then I realised I don't have eyes to cry with"

"Oh, Pinky. You are just a delight. You could learn something from her, Indy" Her eyes flickered to her index finger, the most offensive one of the bunch, who simply had his cap pulled down, ignoring them all. How rude! "Do you think she bought into my little act?"

This time, the thumb butted in, his little straw whiskers flaring. Kasonna switching to a younger voice. "You sure scared the crap out of her, Mr!"

"Yeah, you were a total creep" Agreed the twin fingers, glistening with purple nail varnish

With a purse of his lips, the face of the woman dissolved in an explosion of dust, making way for Kasonna's long and narrow nose and jester-like features. "I thought I was rather mysterious and alluring"

"You need subtly for that!" The thumb called out, though Kasonna could forgive the boy for his outburst, he was the new kid after all. "And you were like my mommy when she listens to that jazz crap"

Full crimson lips turned, his head shaking "That is inappropriate language for someone of such low age! In fact, I don't think an eight-year-old would even know such words"

"Pfft, you don't care about character accuracy. You didn't even bother to fix my face after you stole it. I don't have whiskers!" The fat thumb wiggled to make it's exclamation.

"Silly boy, there is no theft in taken something from those who are simply too… kind to give or deny consent" Kasonna leaned down to press his nose against the thumb, bending it backwards until her hear a bone groan. "You are starting to develop quite the attitude problem, little one. Do you want me to bring your mother in on this? I've cut off my fingers for less"

"What are you gonna do, use her to clean the wax from your ears?"

"That would be ridiculous" The man pulled back, shaking his head to loud tutting before raising his foot. "She's the big toe, how am I going to pull her all the way up to my ear? She wouldn't even fit"

The top of his boot began to move, his hand coming over his mouth to muffle his voice. "Is someone calling me fat up there?"

"Nothing of the sort!" He chortled in his ear grating way, moving across the room in a peculiar manner; sweeping his legs, pivoting on his feet, waving his arms. His walk was like that of a dance, putting on a show for an invisible crowd. All the way to the mirror, where he took a good look at himself. Only one thought coming to mind _Yes, I'm devilishly handsome._

But he had to remind himself that he did have a goal here, and sadly that required hiding his face of pure beauty stuck in its finest moment. With a click of his fingers the face grinning back at him in the mirror began to shift, his puffy flesh swelled up into mini balloons on his cheek, latching onto his bones, moulding his face like clay. Until eventually his flamboyant features had been stripped away, his mask returning. His breasts were back, bring his attention to the pitiful outfit. "Tut, tut, tut. Green gi with violet hair? What were you thinking?" He spoke down to his foot, where his big toe decided to simply ignore his criticism.

"This face, it doesn't suit me. But… I guess I'll just have to bear with the sight of lesser beauty. Time is always on my side, of course" A sigh, just one of the many burdens he had to bear in this new existence. "Though I wonder. Son Pan, how fitting would your face be?"


	28. Ambition and Obsession

**Huh, two chapters in so little time. Lucky day for me?**

* * *

"And you have checked the Preliminary match ups?" Gero's voice came through the midst of many crackles, in the background 13 could hear the repetitive cry of machinery as Dr Sludge drilled into a metal surface. "Any variables that should… Worry us?"

The southern trucker sat up against the wall with one eye open, slouching, bored, lazy. Because that's all he was supposed to be for now, just some innocent country bumpkin waiting for the tournament to start, lightly juggling an apple. "We spent a good time watching the participants, 14 compared notes. There's some veterans coming back, none that would raise any alarms for guys like 14 and 15. Bacterian, Giren, Morgan, none that measure up to our level" It had been decided between the three of them that Androids 14 and 15 would compete in the tournament while 13 simply sat back as a spectator, giving Gero a better overview of any of the battles that would occur. The dynamic duo were off somewhere, but 13 sat in the corner of the 'Preliminaries Grounds' (No one bothered to check if he had registered) enjoying the view. "Its like- Whoa there"

The Gero A.I took a little interest in the man that suddenly came into 13's view. Yes, the fighter was of great familiarity, but Gero wouldn't quite consider his that important. "I wouldn't expect him to return to a tournament. I thought he went into employ as a body guard of sorts" The man stood out amongst the crowd, being the only man in the room wearing bright pink, as well as the unsubtle "Kill you" written on his chest.

"Surprised the geezer wasn't banned from the tournament after his last stunt" 13 found himself chuckling, pushing himself to his feet and moving through the crowd, near the man. "They must really be desperate for something exciting if they're welcoming back a man who tried to kill his opponent" He came to a stop, keeping his gaze straight ahead with a smirk as Mercenary Tao, prized assassin once under the Red Ribbon Army's employ, pushed straight by him. He was scowling at something. "Though, this temple seems to attract lotta weird folks. I swear I saw a squawking chicken taking up a fight. Compared to that, an assassin would at least stir something up. Hell, maybe they're considering death matches"

"A fine example of how far the human race has fallen, but at least this means we should have no problem getting to face down against Gok-… The Son Brat in the tournament" If an A.I could feel emotion, Gero knew his wires would be bursting with anticipation, For a moment the images of Goku's corpse flashed within 13's eye, Gero's hatred making the man's inside's itch. "Normally, I would simply have you all surround the girl and crush her head between your palms like you did the Kai, no matter what audience you have. But I cannot truly exact my revenge until I take what is dear to these germs of a species; Pride. I want- No, no, there is no want… I need to watch the humiliation flood her eyes while her blood is spilled across the sta-"

13 politely coughed, trying to remain casual in full view of the crowd. "Sir, could you calm down a little; you're making me over heat here" Thankfully, he felt the heat die down as Gero got a hold of himself.

"You're right, Tucker. It seems that even my restraints as an A.I cannot stop my anger from taking control" The voice hesitated, 13 could hear Sludge yell obscenities after accidentally slamming some tool into his fingers. "I wonder, if the girl is here, perhaps she brought her teacher along with her. He would stay to support her endeavours, would he not?"

"What are you saying, sir?"

"Trunks still must pay for his transgressions against my legacy, for his disposal of Cell. For taking my-… For whatever he has done with MY android. And this one doesn't have any special conditions for his death, unlike the brat" Gero never did well talking about Android 16, and 13 never knew why, though something in his circuitry said that he should.

"You want me to go out and look for him?"

"The Preliminaries will be last a long time. While the other Units watch these brainless baboons beat each other to near death, you can take care of the boy" 13 continued on his way, heading towards the entrance where he had no problem sneaking out through the crowd. "And just imagine how the girl will feel when even her own master is so embarrassed of her that he doesn't turn up"

As the morning sun trickled into view, 13 decided to question Gero's plan for once. "Are you sure about all this? I know you want the girl dead an' all, and I don't really mind popping a few spines; but… What about our 'Friends' putting this whole thing together?"

"What do they have to do with this? They helped bring my plans to life and continue to support my legacy" Gero was well aware that this all went far beyond his vendetta against those that had wronged him, to a discovery that would make Gero one of the greatest minds to ever grace the universe (Or Multiverse as the Arcosian had informed him). He would have never guessed it would be connected to this Majin Buu creature.

"You know that other Saiyan's been staking her claim on either of the half-breeds. Ain't you worried that killing either is gonna make her one angry bull?" The day hit him like a cooked oven mit, is insides heating up again, he was lucky he wore his hat today.

13 assumed that the noise Gero made was a sigh, but he couldn't quite be sure. "It is understandable that you would come to such a conclusion, Unit 13, as your interactions have been limited to that woman" The A.I displayed disgust. "I shall simplify this for you. She is a part of an obsolete race of savages who even in their 'Super Saiyan' form were surpassed by my creations. But me? Suffice to say, I am too valuable an asset. If she takes issue with me taking my rightful vengeance, she'll just have to swallow that fragile pride of hers and deal with it"

"Whatever you say, Sir" The crowd was now sparse on the Tournament Grounds, most people already heading in to wait on their good seats within the stadium section of the temple. With a clear view of the area, Gero could see that this left little to no witnesses if 13 wished to try anything. Though there seemed to be no sign of Trunks.

"That cowardly, uh… WOMAN!" But it wasn't long before they spotted the form of Chichi trying out one of those 'Hit the button with a hammer' attractions, though the owner of the stall seemed absent. "Leaving a poor old lady on her own with physical labour. Oh, I knew she was trouble when she seduced my poor Gohan"

"The Wife" Was all Gero referred to her as

"Looks like she's needs help" 13 stalked towards the woman at a slow pace, a grin growing as he noted the woman was certainly feeling the flaws of old age catch up to her. No witnesses for the moment. It would only take two seconds. He came to a stop behind her, towering over her like a towering monster, looking down with empty eyes and a twisted grin. "Do you need any help, mam?"

She turned around with a curious frown, the hammer spinning around with her turn and almost skimming 13's nose. He didn't flinch. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want a turn on this game?"

"Nothing of the sort, Miss" His eye grew small and kind, an arm slung round to rub the back of his neck. Just an innocent country bumpkin. "I was just looking for a friend of mine. I think you might know him"

She bought that southern charm hook, line and sinker. "Oh, really? If there's anything I can help you with, I'll be sure to do my best. Who are you looking for?"

"It's a friend of mine, Trunks. Trunks Briefs?" The hammer came around again as Chichi swayed, her arm moving upwards when she recognised the name. This tie, 13 moved back and acted as if he was about to trip and fall. Awkward, clumsy, add in some light hearted laughter.

"Sorry about that! Sometimes my arms just have a mind of their own, I guess" She reached forward to keep him balanced. "And yes, I do know Trunks. Such a sweet boy. He's very close to my Grandaughter. They're both adorable together" Yet again she had to take a moment to sigh, memories of Gohan returning. _He would be so happy with how they turned out._ "I'm afraid you just missed him. He was called away for something important, though he didn't say where. I think its serious. As soon as he got the call he almost looked scared" She clapped her hands together, trying to put on her best smile "But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be fine. Maybe if you wait around he'll be back"

"I'll be sure to do that. Thanks for the help" 13 tipped his hat to her as an expression of gratitude, where as she simply bowed. Gero quickly noted that chasing Trunks down wouldn't be productive now, he could be anywhere. Tracking him would could distract them from the tournament for too long. It wasn't worth it. "I'm Tucker. Don't think I got the pleasure of your name, Miss"

"Chichi, Son Chichi" She bowed again, before turning back to the game, her smile quickly being replaced by a frown accompanied by a growl. "I've been at this game for ages! You see, I came up with the idea of getting Pan a stuffed animal. You know, for some encouragement and a friend to hug; yes, I know she's not a little girl anymore, but everyone deserves a stuffed bed friend"

13 let out a pleasant whistle "Such a caring grandmother. Lucky kid, lucky kid." Chichi didn't stop to notice that she never mentioned that Pan was her Granddaughter, but simply continued.

"So, me and that FLOOZIE, Videl, came over here to try and win a stuffed animal. And guess what? That harlot goes and ditches me, says she'll 'save me a seat' and leaves me here to get the present"

"Leave a lovely old woman like you here to swing a lotta weights around? The nerve of some people" He shook his head, tutting. "And yer still here? Damn"

"I know. I never liked that girl, I swear. I mean, I kept quiet and kept out of Gohan's way, because he's my son and it's his choice. But, urg… That woman is trouble"

"I'm sure she's just jealous"

Chichi lightly punched his shoulder, giggling to herself. "Oh, you're just saying that"

"Honest, I swear" 13 could practically feel Gero's non-existent eyes rolling. "How about I take a crack at this game, save ya the trouble?"

"You would do that?" A nod and a smile "Oh, you are such a sweet heart. Thank you" Only one minute later the game had been broken, the hammer in two and a large stuffed bunny sat on Chichi's head, both her and Android 13 chuckling. "Thank you again, not just for the game, but for keeping this old woman company. Strange, I never thought talking with strangers could be so pleasant. I haven't spoken with many people outside of my family in a long time…" She again smiled, but it was that held a sad weight to it. "I hope you find Trunks" And with that, she was gone, ready to shove that bunny in Videl's face.

"You could have killed her" Gero commented

"There's no point" 13 shrugged, closing his eyes again "Unless you want me to kill her?"

"No. While she may have wedded Son Goku, her pain means nothing while he is dead. She does not have his blood" 13 started to move back towards the Preliminaries Grounds, there was no point in being out here anymore, but…

"Oh, Metal Man!" The call made the android come to a sudden halt, his expression switching to a wide eyed. Had someone so easily figured out that he was an android? How!?

Swerving his head to look to the left he was instantly met with a tall woman, a young face that was almost sickly pale. "You must be mistaken-" It wasn't so much the threat of some random person finding out that he was an android, it was more Gero's anger that someone could possibly so easily figure it out when the point of the Androids was that they would be able to blend in.

"Your face. It's so concerned. Such a perfect expression, I'd love to capture it in the moment" She sauntered over to the android, running a finger up the man's exposed chest, poking the fake flesh with wonderment at how real it felt. "Odd, I honestly thought this form would get a much more welcoming reaction"

"Ah." Gero calmed down, his creation had not been found out, it was simply an ally they had already met. Kasonna's lips formed a pout as she/he looked up at 13. "The Face Stealer" He spoke through 13 so that she could hear him.

"Oooo, is that what you're calling me now? I've already told the fingers about this; it's not stealing. Nihehehehehe" She let out her horrid augh be slinking away, circling the android.

"What do you want?" 13 couldn't speak right now, so Gero took full control of the situation, bluntly getting to the point.

"We're friends, are we not?" In her hand she held an apple, as she pulled it up to her lips and took a bite, 13 realised she had stolen his. "Is there a problem with me noticing your festivities and wanting to join in on the fun? I have plenty of time, yet I can see no problem. Unless, of course, you're planning something unfortunate" Her eyelids were half closed, almost as if she was drifting off to sleep, but still she giggled with an almost unmoving mouth. Like a strange puppet.

"It's never that simple, Face Stealer" Gero willed 13 to close his arms, glaring at the fake girl.

"You don't have act so rude towards me, young man" She took another bite out of the apple, taking her time to chew it as she mulled over her next line. "But if you're going to be so grumpy, I wouldn't want to waste your time. I just want to give you some advice"

"Advice?"

"We're all capable of incredible things, especially with the right drive. Saiyans were mostly brutes, but their ambition accomplished much in the short time in the spotlight they had. For others, like that Cell creature or those lovely teenagers you kidnapped for your experiments, their ambition lead them to the people who would end them. Let it be a lesson" She tossed the apple back to Thirteen and headed away from him.

"Be careful not to choke on your own ambition, Doctor. Because Saiyans don't take too kindly to theirs being threatened"


	29. Trunks on the Hunt

The view from the skyline was a limited one, as soon as something appeared within Trunks's line of sight, it would disappear within the next millisecond. Mountains, fields, cities, oceans, all were but blurred lines as he shot past them. "I'm going as a fast as I can, Mom" He spoke through a small metal ear piece, seemingly unaffected by the speed and pressure of his flight. "Just use the time we have to explain what this's all about" All he had been told before taking off was that Bulma had made possible progress on the Android led and that he was needed for an errand.

"Well, first off I want to remind you that this could be completely unrelated to what you think you saw" Her tone was careful, hesitant, she didn't want to make a wrong move and send her son into a panic. "Maybe-"

"Just explain, Mom. Clearly." The voice felt like he punched her in the gut, both desperate and firm, like a superior yelling an order at an employee.

"We picked up readings of two other locations using technology that matches that of the ship Frieza had arrived on when he came to Earth all those years back" He could hear her stopping to make quick orders to whoever was with her.

"Someone's been salvaging from the site of Frieza's demise" The thought of that location spurred on Trunks's thought, he'd never fully wondered on how Goku had handled the situation that day. When Trunks had gone back in time, he had been forced to intervene and kill Frieza because Goku arrived late. But in this timeline, how had Goku dealt with the returning foe? Had he turned Frieza to dust like Trunks? Or did he leave the tyrant limping home with a hole in his pride that could never be repaired?

"Not just anyone" Bulma's voice fell to a glum overtone. Trunks could already feel his heart rate picking up, waiting for the bad news. "I sent 16 out to the original site of Frieza's landing and he found people. Scavengers, looting the wreckage" _That didn't seem too bad, maybe I could cal-_ There was a gulp heard.

"What else, mother?"

"…They were Red Ribbon, Trunks"

Suddenly everything felt a tad too hot, burning rays seeping into his skin, pulling at his flesh until his skin swept sweaty tears. Was it him or was the sky going red? In seconds 18 and 17 were there, floating beside him, easily keeping up with his pace. _You're not looking too good, Trunks_ Their taunts echoed off of non-existent wall, crawling in his skin, forcing apart his ear lobes. _Do the small soldiers scare you?_

 _"Do we scare you?"_

His blue aura flickered in response to his breathing, like a grim rhythm laughing at his fears. "That could mean…"

17 moved up behind his sister, their grins burning into the back of Trunks's head. " _What do you have to be afraid of? You beat us."_ 17's hand crashed through his sibling's chest, blood that they shouldn't have had staining his hand and dripping on Trunks's cheek. _"You slaughtered us"_

Gravity returned in all of it stubbornness, grabbing at Trunks, dragging him down bit by bit, draining all layers of resistance from his body. _"Because you wanted revenge. Because you had power. Because no one could stop you"_

"It doesn't prove that what you saw was real, Trunks!" Bulma screamed through the earpiece, if she was here she would have been wrapping her arms around him in a motherly embrace. "Gero was a genius, not many people could rebuild his Android designs. And in the Red Ribbon Army, he was one of a kind"

 _"The rules didn't apply to you, because nobody could stop you"_ 18 and 17 began to circle Trunks, 18's wound still dripping with blood.

The gravity increased, the chains tightened, Trunks didn't even notice that the ground was getting closer.

 _"Just like us"_ Each head leaned close towards his ear, dragging out every word of his crimes.

His body felt numb, tired, longing for rest. It welcomed the fall, it asked for punishment.

 _"Is that why you keep causing problems? As a distraction?"_

 _"Sickening."_ Gohan chimed in just moments before Trunks realised he had stopped flying, instead plummeting into the ground. In a moment of quick thinking, Trunks threw all his weight to one side, turning his body to face skyward as he crashed into the ground, dirt pouring down on his head like rain.

"Trunks! I heard something crash, are you okay!?"

His hand came up to clasp his still beating heart, his entire body reeling like he had just ran the length of a planet, wheezing for air. But before he could breathe his eyes burned at the sight of an object high up in the air that gleamed in the sun, something metal, with a hilt... It took three seconds for Trunks to notice his sword descending from the sky like a flaming meteor. As if it was possessed by a bloodthirsty spirit his trusty weapons seemed to guide itself towards his fallen form, where only a second later it landed… Only an inch away from his throat.

"I'm fine mom... I just…" He fought to steady his breath, taking in the view of his reflection in the blade of the object that came so close to just ending it all; he had done nothing to stop it. "Lost my balance"

"Don't scare me like that" Her voice almost sounded broken. "I don't think I can survive a heart attack"

Talking was good, thinking was good. It took him away, it blocked out the noise. It blocked out them. He needed to distract himself before he did something regretful, before he put his mother through more stress. "Mom?"

"Yes, Dear?"

Gero was dead. Trunks knew that, it was he Devil's Pair's greatest achievement. If he was going to do this right, he had to think. Ask the right questions. How could the Thirteen have been there taunting him? Possibilities: He missed a safe house. Or, somebody took Geros designs and rebuilt or repaired Thirteen. They were already looking for leads on missed safe houses, but was it possible that there was someone who could replicate Geors work? "You said that Gero was one-of-a-kind in Red Ribbon, right? But… Didn't the files say he had an assistant? Wouldn't they be able to recreate his work?"

"Hmmm. I do remember Goku mentioning once that when he originally fought the Red Ribbon Army, he met a man… Dr. Frap, I think. The man had claimed to be the one who created Eighter actually"

Trunks picked himself up, the possible answer pushing back against gravity and keeping him up straight. He looked around, no androids to be seen. With that he gripped the handle of his sword and pulled it up to examine the blade. "Then maybe I should pay the good doctor a visit"

Bulma wanted to tell him that she still had a job he could do by going to the other site of Frieza's space ship match, but she couldn't tell him. It seemed having a solid lead kept him going, at least for now, and she didn't want to add to that stress. She just wanted her baby boy to be happy. "He should still be at Jingle Village if you're so sure of this"

"It's the best bet we've got" His let some joy leak into his voice, hoping to encourage Bulma to smile. "Just be careful. You're at the lab, aren't you?"

Unknown to him Bulma currently sat between the cover of two boulder, peaking through the gap between them and down towards an opening in the mountain-side, where a space ship with a very familiar design sat under the cover of the mountains. Behind her she had only her three assistants fighting over the supplies they had brought, Pilaf somehow ending up on Mai's head, pulling her hair.

Bulma raised her binoculars up a top her nose, where the extended sight of the tool allowed her to make out Salza and Neiz playing a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. "Oh, you know. I'm just out… Getting some raw data samples"

* * *

Salza did not enjoy the hour of silence that had fallen over the room, an hour of him waiting with his back straight beside his Master, anticipation dripping down his cheeks in the form of sweat as he wondered what would happen next; barely able to keep himself from letting out some random jumbled groan at the fatigue falling upon his knee caps. Cooler on the other hand registered no such irritation with the situation, sitting comfortably in his chair and leaning forward, a stern gaze observing the various footage that played on the monitors before him.

Crime reports, military documentaries, news coverage, Red Ribbon Army remnants invading a village. Recordings of bloody combat and high-speed games of cat and mouse painted Cooler's view, his eyes eating up every display of these Earthling's resolve and endurance. But in Salza's eyes he could see nothing of value in these clips (Data gathered over time by the Armoured Squadron), there was no tactical advantage in studying the common brawl between such people, after a few clips it only went on to prove how under powered and under developed any type of resistance would be to the likes of Lord Cooler.

And with that contemplative glare. Salza didn't know what to make of it, it unnerved him slightly. Like Cooler was trying to intimidate the non-sentient objects. Was he hoping to find footage of the one that destroyed the Androids? Maybe Cooler was simply looking at footage that allowed him to laugh at how primitive life was. _No…_ Salza shook his head, he knew that look. With the likes of other threatening nobles Salza had come across, he had long ago learned that a stone-cold expression on an Arcosian meant they were in deep thought. Plotting.

Which didn't make anything much better. The lack of involvement Salza seemed to have here only made the young Captain doubt himself. He was the Captain of the Armoured Squadron, a rank gained over years of frivolous loyalty to the Master's whims, who personally picked out and recruited his fellow members for the perfect team. He should be privy to his Master's schemes and vision, he proved his right for such a privilege, did he not? _Listen to yourself!_ He thought _If our EMPEROR thinks zhat ve do not need to know such information, zhen ve should trust his judgement._

Salza shook his head for a brief moment, before realising he moved and instantly whipped his head back into his statue-esc stance. His mind told him that any fast movement threatened to hurt Cooler's concentration. He could wait, Salza knew he could be patient. He was able to wait for his allies in the vicinity of an erupting volcano. He was able to wait in a failed peace treaty for his Master to give the go ahead. He was able to wait in baited breath for Tinsel to accept his proposal.

A 'You got mail!' icon flashed on his scouter, not followed by any sort of sound as the symbol dissolved into the ID of the ender. _Speak of zhe devil_ Salza felt a smile grow on his face. Though he could not real the e-mail at the moment, he could see the subject was titled 'Missing you, Bonbon!'. Oh, and it even had a sweet little love heart at the end-

"Salza." Cooler barely had to raise his voice to make the soldier jump in surprise, Salza quickly fingering his scouter to remove the e-mail from view. The Arcosian looked unimpressed as he rose to his feet, quickly shutting off the monitors with a click of his fingers. "We're leaving, bring along a spare energy cannon"

"Of course, Sir!" Salza had to admit, it felt damn good to move his knees again as they pumped in a rush for him to get the cannon and return to his Master's side. "Vith all due respect, Sir. Vhat are ve doing? And vhat does his have to do vith those tapes?

"Let's just say I've come to a realisation, Salza" Cooler, while still stone faced, did have a tinge of excitement in his voice, grabbing a spare scouter as well. The two marching through the ship and down the boarding ramp, passing by a rather intense game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' with not an eye batted in Neiz and Dore's general direction. They knew their orders. "A habit, if you will, of my family history in how we like to be viewed. Fear and status was always the key"

"Vhere are ve going, Sir?" The question went on ignored as Salza watched his Master come to a stop, scanning the area around them with the scouter, before muttering something along the lines of 'I was right, how about that?'. And then like that he was off, stalking towards the cliff that was visible in the distance.

"Age old tactic, really. King Kold was respected because of his blood, Frieza's spot on the throne over all other rivals and his lucrative control over the galaxy was due to his ability to blow up planets with a flick of his dainty fingers" At this point Salza was starting to think that Cooler had forgotten that he was there, rambling thoughts laid bare as the two walked. "Yes, I always try to play my cards more pragmatically and certainly don/t butcher my own forces as much, but I did always generally try to follow these examples. Even if through different methods, I still produced my power as something to be feared and my birth right respected"

"Fear is a brilliant motivator, but to rule by fear alone would prove foolish. Look at the state of our Empire, as soon as Frieza was out of the picture, that power stripped away from our image, the galaxy turned against us. My brother's fall was a sign to the universe that no one was untouchable. A disgusting insult to my family to be sure, to drag our names down to the level of the common people" His right hand came up and started doing ecstatic gestures, clicking his fingertips together to keep his mind focused, his speech going off track. "But backwater planets like this dust ball don't know that. They've never heard of our Empire, in either it's failings or it's victories. Never opened their eyes to the greater universe… And yet they've shown themselves as the most resilient and stubborn creatures in this sector, who even now have produced fighters who've been able to break the same machines that killed the Super Saiyan"

Salza took a moment to try and replay the words in his head, the fast-pace vomit of words were hard to decipher. At least Cooler was good at making everything he said sound important no matter the meaning. "You think zhat zhis planet could be of use to our Empire?"

They now stood at the edge of the cliff, looking over an old looking road that twisted around the bend of the cliff, only having one actual car passing by. "This planet is still just coming out of it's age of destruction. It has been decimated by infernal machines, stripped of resources and hope. Now, amongst the rot and ruin the people try their best to get by. It's perfect"

Salza didn't get it. "I don't think zhey find zhe turn of events zhat perfect, Sir"

"Precisely. I think it's time I make my first official appearance on this planet" Down on the road, the truck had stopped, three people seemed to be in the midst of a heated argument around the front of the truck while a large grey grizzly bear (According to Salza, that's what the Earthlings called them) was resting at the back. "I have a cunning plan" Was the only thing he said before jumping down onto the road.

"Can't believe you drove us away. What do you take us for, a bunch of putz!?" A particularly angry shout was the first thing Cooler heard as soon as he got close enough. "I oughtta just fill you with holes now, Pipsqueak!" The loud mouth was tall and blonde, opening her leather jacket to reveal a large array of capsules marked 'Firepower' hanging on the inside. If Cooler's research was correct, this woman was Launch, known as the 'Two-Faced Bandit' in the reports he had his men steal. Gang Leader.

"We were outnumbered and outgunned, man!" The much smaller man's voice came out as a squeak. "Those Red Ribbon thugs woulda turned us into swiss cheese" While he talked, the small man instinctively inched closer to his bigger and buffer companion, waiting for the chance to use the man as a human shield.

"UmHm" The buff man grumbled out, nodding his head.

"That's an awesome point, Loco!"

'Loco' looked to Launch, crossing his arms. "UhHm"

Launch sighed in defeat, growling out "Just shut up, Loco. The Pipsqueak lives, this time"

 _Okay, so these people have some one word language I'm unaware of… How does that even work!?_ Cooler shook his head, no time for questions as he pushed on forward. It was time to introduce himself. "Sir, vhat are you aiming to achieve here?"

Cooler gave a dark chuckle, taking one step closer "I'm just one generous man who wants to help some… Down on their luck fo-" Only to stop as an unsuspecting bullet whipped past his nose.

"Better stop where you are before you lose something, Bucko!" The voice was gruff, deep, barely literate and was certainly not coming from the three by the car. Come to think of it, it came from Cooler's right, but the only thing over there was the bear… That was currently standing on to legs. The Bear that had just reached into its fur to pull out a machine gun. The Bear Cooler only now noticed seemed to have a hat.

"What is wrong with this planet!?" The Bear seemed to take offence to this, within seconds of pulling the trigger a hail of bullet fired at Cooler, much to his dissatisfaction. Yes, he can easily catch the bullets, but the feeling was akin to an insect biting you; doesn't really hurt, but just plain irritating. Soon, the Bear an out of ammo, but that wasn't really a problem as Launch had already jumped on top of the truck to back the animal up and she seemed to have plenty of ammo to spare.

"Eat lead, you lizard freak!" She showed absolutely no hesitation in unloading on this random person for the simple crime of walking close to them, though what Cooler found more amusing was that Salza had ducked for some sort of cover on the ground.

"Salza, seriously?"

"Sorry, Sir. Old habit on the battlefield…" With a nervous laugh the soldier got to his feet and mimicked Cooler's hand movements, deflecting and catching bullets in 'silence'.

After a few minutes of this Cooler has to admit that this was a little excessive.

Another minute passed. How much ammo did she have!?

Three minutes "Uh, Boss Lady? I don't think it's working" Pipsqueak piped up.

Four minutes "Look, Boys, he's getting tired!" Launch tried to reaffirm

After the five minute mark Cooler's patience had reached its end, and with an annoyed growl and a mutter of 'Diplomacy is hard' he directed a glare squarely on Launch. For a moment nothing happened, but within a split second a shine similar to the glare of the sun could be seen twinkling in his eye, following that was a pair of thin twin beams of light that seemed to shoot out from his eye balls and narrowly graze Launch's shoulder. "Can we now be civil, you impudent peas-… Friends." As he said this the shock of the sudden attack caused Launch to fall backwards off the roof of the truck, a loud thud being heard from the other side, accompanied by a pained groan.

Pipsqueak was already in a panic. "Why do we ever listen to the Boss Lady!? You're Red Ribbon, aren't you? Some sort of twisted monster here to violate our souls and suck out our flappy jubblies!"

Cooler's eyes only narrowed at the implication that his appearance was in any way 'monstrous'. "You know, where I come from I'd be considered quite the stud" His hand instantly shot out to the side to silence Salza before the soldier could even start trying to add to Cooler's statement. The last time Salza had tried to 'Defend his great Lord's honour!', it had led to many awkward implications. Now, stop whimpering. I do not come seeking harm, despite the very RUDE welcome, I simply wished to help. You all seemed to be… Troubled"

"We don't need no help, we're not spineless wimps" Launch came back around the truck, still as aggressive as ever, though at least she wasn't shooting. "Well, except for Pipsqueak over here, but he's the one that drives the truck"

"Strange, from what I overheard, you were having trouble with- What was it? The 'Red Ribbon Army'?" Cooler had to pretend to be in the dark, too much knowledge was a suspicious thing to have.

"Those losers are nothin', ya hear me? Nothin' but a bunch of bums with guns!" Launch seemed fired up at the mere mention of them, wagging her finger violently in Cooler's face (An action that made his royal blood growl). "Yeah, they got the drop on us. Just cus' we were distracted by trying to find good junk we could sell off. Those weird space ship ruins would sell good on the market. But if it were any other time, we'd have slaughtered them! And then we'd fill their corpses with so many holes they'd come back to life to beg for mercy" She was practically spitting in the Emperor's face.

"You seem to… Dislike these people" Cooler put it lightly.

"Boss Lady hates everything. But the Red Ribbon army above all e- ARG!" Pipsqueak couldn't finish before Launch had punched him straight in the stomach, causing him to keel over in pain.

"Yeah, and so what if I do? Those Red Ribbon jerks took everything! If bullets can't rip an Android into shred, then they can at least turn the soldiers into gooey mess" She walked back over to the hood of the car, slamming her fist into the hood, obviously finding that punching other people wasn't helping. "And I'll do the same to every last one of 'em, down to the last Ribbon"

"I was under the assumption that this army had long since been disbanded"

She sat down, head finding comfort in the metal head of the truck. "They ain't what they used to be, but some are still kicking around. Been after them for a while… Funny, the Kid took 'em down on his own in a few weeks, yet I can't even make a dent in years" Cooler told himself that he must have misheard that part, how could a mere child have taken out an entire army? "If only that Kid was still around…" launch muttered

"Sounds like you need an edge over them. No use fighting ants without bugspray, hm?" Cooler held his hand out to the side, where Salza took the cue to place the spare Energy Cannon in his Master's palm. "This is a standard issue BDC Mark 3 Energy Cannon, a wrist mounted device that converts electrical waves into pure energy and unleashes them as devastating blasts. Far more explosive than the meagre weapons you seem to carry" He tossed the small weapon over to Launch, who easily caught it with interest fighting against her aggressive tendencies.

"How does this thing work?" Part of her was immediately suspicious of the random stranger giving her a weird vice, but another part of her excitedly screamed 'Free Gun Thing!'

"You put your hand through the underside of the Cannon, wrapping your fingers loosely around the handle at the other end" Launch did as the man instructed, flipping the device on its back so the bulbous shape didn't get in the way. "Then it's simply a matter of increasing your grip on the handle to fire"

She raised the cannon up, surprised at how light it felt as she looked around for a target. Below them a river ran down stream, a rather large rock protruding from the currents. "So, like this?" Her arm was out stretched (Pipsqueak and Loco scrambling out of the way), prompting a small aiming attachment to pop out of the top. With only curling of her fist the device shook, within moments golden light exploded from the front, bursting out with such strength that it threatened to knock Launch on her ass. She couldn't even see what happened when the blast hit the target due to the light being so bright, but oh man, she could feel that rock disintegrate as the light enveloped it.

"I probably should have mentioned that it works best with long range targets…" Cooler muttered as the light died down.

"Damn, so that's how it feels!" Launch exclaimed, patting the cannon like it was a pet, a smile stretching from ear-to-ear. Which really looked as unnatural on her as it would have on Cooler. "I always wondered. It's like when Tien that donut ray"

"I'll just assume you're impressed"

"This. I like this. This could do some serious damage" Okay, now Cooler was starting to find it a tad creepy how instantly attached she had become to the weapon. "What's the catch?"

"I'm just a man that wants to help out" Cooler put on his best impression of what he assumed was a noble and kind idiot. "I think we can both agree that these Red Ribbon fools should not be allowed to continue their exploits" Salza was still unsure of Cooler's plan in all of this. He obviously saw something of value with these people, he had purposely sought them out. Though Salza could at least see the logic in wiping out the rest of Red Ribbon, if they could build something to rival a Super Saiyan, then left unchecked there could be a day they create something that rivals Lord Cooler.

"Excuse me, miss-" Salza butted into their conversation, receiving a glare from Cooler

"It's Launch. Get it right or I'm using you for target practice"

"Launch. You mentioned zhat zhese people took you by surprise because you were... Scavenging some sort of space craft?" At first, Cooler didn't understand the point of the question, before reminding himself that the Earthlings were not a species that had achieve Space Travel yet. Meaning that the space ship could be…

"Just some old ruins, people say a UFO was there once. Big circular space ship, but it exploded or soothing" She leaned in, examining the emblem on Salza's uniform. "Hey! I've seen that symbol, it was on some of the parts in the ruins"

"You did!?" Salza exclaimed. She must have stumbled upon the remains of Frieza's space ship.

"Wait a minute… That means you're from space!" Launch exclaimed. "YOU'RE ALIENS!" She pointed an accusatory finger at Salza's scouter "I knew I recognised those dumb glasses from somewhere. The Aliens that blew up East City all these years ago wore 'em"

"Don't do anything drastic" Salza pulled his hands up with an awkward laugh, hoping the woman didn't get too mad.

"I'm watching you, Greenbug" Her eyes narrowed on Salza, her hand patting the energy cannon.

"Where did you get attacked?" Cooler moved in front of Saza, glaring Launch down, he wasn't going take any stupid answers.

After a moment of staring, Launch shrugged and went back to appreciating her new toy. "Up north, I've got the co-ordinates down on the radar" She held up a small square device, seemed to be some sort of advanced map.

Cooler turned to Salza, his voice frim and strict. "Salza, tell Neiz and Dore to go to these co-ordinates to investigate" Before looking back to Launch with a fake smile. "And to kill any Red Ribbon soldiers they find"

Launch seemed to take this as a challenge of sorts, smirking as she turned to bark at Pipsqueak "Get off the floor and into the truck, we gotta get there before anyone else! I wanna test the new gun"

Cooler handed her the spare scouter "If I ever need to contact you" He stated, to which Launch only responded to with a nod before jumping in the truck, and within a matter of minutes the truck had turned around and took off for the north.

"Hook, line and sinker as they say" Cooler crossed his arms and took the moment to pat himself on the back, Salza returning to his side to inform him of the other two soldiers receiving their orders.

"I still do not fully understand, Sir"

"It's simple, Salza. Ever since we landed on this planet I've had you and the rest of the Squadron looking into various aspects of this planet. Information on its defensive capability, some of it's culture, though the bear was still a surprise, everything. I've been pooling over all this information for a while now, and the picture painted was of an opportunity. See, that Launch girl took lead of a gang after the Androids came around, one that is well known. At first they were your usual thugs, bank robberies and all that" As he monologued he began to pace about in front of Salza, swept up in his own voice. "But it seems more recently the various inhabitants of this mudball have found themselves adoring these thugs for how they deal with what remains of the Red Ribbon Army. In a way, amidst the after math of the Androids, this gang is one of the few pillars that people look up to. The only other I have found so far has been the scientist that is heading their rebuilding efforts; Bulma Briefs"

"Ah, I think I get it now. Sir. You want to build their trust and loyalty to achieve their influence?"

"Something like that. See, the Red Ribbon Army have left this planet in the perfect state of disarray. People are lost, they want things, symbols, people, objects, anything; to put their trust in. The more I think about it, the more value I could see in owning this planet. On other planets, we went for sheer conquest, beating down the popular until they could no longer resist. But such acts only breeds a need for vengeance in the survivors, which stays until they find the right moment to wiggle out from under our thumbs. So, what if instead of conquering this world, we build ourselves up. We earn their trust, we earn their dependency. To the point where they'll look to me as a messiah of sorts"

"You mean, you vish to take advantage of zheir darkest hour?" Cooler couldn't see at the moment, but Salza's face fell into an almost repulsed expression. "But that's…"

"Brilliant, I know" Cooler couldn't compliment himself enough. "As you told me after your first scouting mission, there still remains androids. It's perfect. Wait for the Androids to cause some damage, get the fear out there front and centre, and then out of the goodness of my heart, I dedicate my resources into protecting the civilians" He clapped his hands together, looking over the road with glee. "They'll be so desperate for my protection, they won't bat an eye at bringing more troops here to occupy and take resources"

"A brilliant plan, Sir" Salza did not sound enthusiastic.

"Maybe taking the planet the Super Saiyan called home could even erase some of the stained that still dirty of family's legacy" He turned back to Salza, floating back up the cliff, it wa about time they got back to the ship. "My Empire will be able to heal. Earth will be the starting point to rebirth of this great Empire" His lips frowned as he added on in a mutter "I haven't failed. Not yet. You'll see, Father from whatever hell hole you ended up in"


	30. Wishful Faces

The preliminaries was both cramped and wide open. It was a rather humid room that stretched to fit in a group of mini-stages (None of which compared to the big stage outside, they weren't even cleaned as much), with a sea of competitors fluctuating between crowding around one spot, and stretching out to every corner of the room. Though with each injury sustained through a loss, the crowd got smaller.

Ever since exiting the changing room Pan took every opportunity to distract herself with examining all of her possible opponents, easing her nerves and throwing away the creepy feelings surrounding that strange girl. While waiting for her turn Pan found her feet moving on their own wondering throughout the hall, even as someone who could most likely blow most of these people away with her less than human abilities, it was quite the sight to observe the different matches.

There was something of a rush watching two fighters of equal calibre square up in a close-call beat down, maybe it was that old 'Saiyan blood' that Bulma would always bring up in regard to fighting. In one of ChiChi's stories Pan could remember learning that sometimes, no matter the situation, her Grandfather would purposely weaken himself to fight on equal-footing with his opponent. While Chichi could never understand the reasons behind it, Pan always wondered, did Goku have a sense of fairness? Or did he simply want that rush of an opponent who had a chance?

When she eventually found her time to take to the fighting stage and face down her opponent, she found the match moving in a blur. Her eyes could already make out her victory before she even reached the stage, and in a few seconds, it was all over. Honestly, she didn't mind much. These were the preliminaries, the time to wade through the weak and prop up those who would fare well up for everyone else to see. Unlike Goku, it seemed that she wasn't that good at scaling down her strength for big power gaps.

Not that she wanted to brag or anything (Correction: She loves to brag), but she was most certainly not weak and would be standing among those head to the top eight. Really, for the first time in her life she found it more exciting to watch to weaker fighters face off against similar opponents. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't scouting for those that looked like they might carry their way to the final eight.

From old recordings, she had seen of previous tournament, the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" wasn't completely true, looks were a damn good indicator for the most part. Almost half of every tournament's final roster had some odd-looking people, which instantly made her note that the Kassy woman might have a good chance of being someone to watch out for. Pan found it weird that she hadn't seen any sign of the woman since the encounter in the changing room, she at least thought she'd catch at least a glimpse of the woman fighting or in the crowd.

Pan's train of thought was interrupted by a fighter suddenly slamming into the wall beside her, in a split second beforehand she could see the fighter was in the middle of a flying kick and seemed kept a look of complete surprise. Pan could even hear him groan "Who put that wall there?" Looking around she could see the fighter came from the stage beside the one she had been watching before, and yes; She'd call this guy odd.

Charcoal skin. Puffy red lips. And that turban get-up kind of made the plump man look like a genie. A racially unfortunate genie. "What happened to that guy?" Pan asked the nearest person to her, gesturing to the man on the ground.

The response was a simple shrug "I dunno. One moment they were staring each other down, then the next second the guy tries attacking the air behind him. Must have been seeing things" The small crowd of spectators dispersed to go look for another fight while they waited to be called up, and as Pan turned bac towards the stage she found the Genie walking down the steps of the stage, his eyes looking straight at her.

"Uh… Can I help you?" She backed away slightly in case the man was simply looking for room to get through the crowd, but he came to a stop in front of her, his mouth hanging open in thought. As if he was trying to put together a puzzle.

But before Pan could voice her question again, the man's lips pulled back together into a sudden warm smile. "Oh!" A joyful sigh as he bowed his head. "Little Pan, all grown up" His voice surprised her, it was filled with such relief. Like he lost a dog or something.

"You know me?" She tried to reel in her surprise, the strange aura of warmth the man exuded discouraged her from being rude.

This only made him chuckle, nodding enthusiastically. "Of course. I did deliver you, of course"

"Deliver me? Royal mail or Express?"

"I mean, I pulled you out of your Mother-"

Pan waved her hands in front of her, letting out a disgusted 'eck' before cutting the man off "I was joking!" The two moved away from the stage after another person bumped into them, giving Pan time to think over the man's words. She had heard a lot about the circumstances of her birth, and how it had come at a bad time. And the person who delivered her? "Hey, wait a second. You're Mr Popo! The guy who lives with God"

Again, he nodded. "Yes. I once lived in the home of this planet's guardian" But then he began to frown. "But that was long ago. Now… Kami is no longer with us" In a split second that warm aura turned into a hollow wreck. "I've been wondering the Earth for many days now, looking for… Something"

"Something?"

He shrugged. "Yes, something. I am unsure of what it is"

"But don't you have, like, a castle or something to live in?" She threw her arms behind her back, not sure to keep the mood from going too dreary. She never intended to dredge up bad memories.

"Kami's Lookout's is no longer my home. I failed in my duties, meaning I had no business or right to there anymore. The least I could do was move it after the Androids reduced Korin Tower to rubble when they burned down that poor village under it, but after that I've left it on its own until another guardian comes to take Kami's place" Mr Popo linked his fingers in a sad bow, taking a moment of silence. "However long it will take"

Pan at first wanted to ask how he MOVED something that from what her father once told her was an entire palace, but she realised that might have been a bit insensitive. Instead clapping her hands together and stating "Hey, you haven't failed!" Granted, she knew little about the man's job or his situation, but she couldn't just let him beat himself up. "I mean, I might not even be here if it wasn't for you"

"Hmmm… You do have a point" He seemed to put on a smile for her effort "Do you know much about how you were born?"

Pan rolled her eyes "Yes, I know that my mom and dad bumped uglies. Just because I thought babies came from kisses on the cheek until I was fifthteen…"

"…Another joke?"

Pan paused. "Let's go with that" Before settling her mind on looking back on that night. "I don't remember much, but people have told me a lot. Mom was sick, really sick and Dad didn't think she was going to make it. Resources were scarce and Bulma didn't know what she had. But then you showed up out of the blue, apparently"

"Out of the blue is right. I didn't even know where I was going" He explained, twiddling his thumbs. At Pan's questioning gaze, he continued "I had a feeling that night, one that led me to your house. Like someone was calling me there"

 _Well, that's not suspicious_ She noted with a shrug. "And then what?"

"I helped"

"But how?"

"Magic." Mr Popo gave a stare that showed he really wasn't joking. "I worked beside Kami. I picked up a few tricks" His puffy lips went back into a wide smile "It was the first time I ever witnessed the birth of an infant, it was quite beautiful. Kami always told me the birth of new life was amazing in every form. Though I had to take my leave afterwards, but I did stay long enough to see you kick that poor little boy in the face when he tried to hold you"

Without hesitation Pan let out a snicker. "Yeah, that's the part I remember clearly. I heard Trunks sulked for weeks after that" Now that she thought about it, Trunks and her never really did get on as children, but that didn't matter when Gohan died six years later. That was probably around the time Trunks stopped talking to her. "And back on topic: See? You're not a failure"

He nodded "I appreciate your confidence"

With a nod in return, Pan thought it was about time to steer away from any drearier subjects. "So, you're here to compete? No offense, but with all I've heard I never pegged you as a fighter"

At this, Mr Popo chuckled, a smile growing as he wagged his finger. "I'll have you know that for a time I trained your Grand Father"

Immediately, Pan's eyes lit up "Really!? You trained Goku?"

"Oh yes, I still remember the first day he arrived on the lookout. Eager, head strong, cocky and reckless" He shook his head before Pan could ask for more information "But those are tories for another time, we still have this tournament to think about"

"Fine…" Her face fell into a pout. "Hey, you never told me why you joined in the first place. Another 'feeling'?"

"I wondered if perhaps any trace of Goku or his friends had survived. A gathering of the world's greatest fighters would definitely attract them, and so I found you" He fell silent for a moment, contemplating as he looked Pan up and down. "May I ask you a question?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you fight?" is question sounded so simple, yet when Pan opened her mouth she couldn't find any words to answer it with. She looked back to the conversation with her mother. Was it because she felt obligated to follow her father? Was it just fun and games? Was this what people called a mid-life crisis? "It's alright, you don't have to answer it now. But I'd advise that you search for that answer, for it can be quite important" His gaze moved above her nose, and spoke again in a jarring example of changing the subject "You have Goku's eyes, you know"

"Not to be rude, but everyone in my family has the same eyes…"

Another 'oh' of surprise before returning to his smile. "I never noticed. Are you-" His gaze moved to behind Pan, his face twisting into a rather worried look "Do you know them? One seems to be glaring at you"

Turning around Pan came to see a familiar sight, the purple dwarf and the pony tail dude looking directly at her, and Pan had to admit those did look like glares. But maybe that was just their default expression. "I've seen them before, didn't get their names though. I think the purple one might still be mad at me for landing on his head…" The small one was in the middle of walking down the steps of the stage, behind him Pan could see a hole in the wall where his opponent had been smashed through. That brought a smirk to Pan's lips. _So, the midget's stronger than average…_ "Let's go greet the competition, Mr P!"

As she made her way over to them she saw the third one, the big trucker hat muscle guy, enter through one of the doors and make his way over to them. He seemed conflicted about something, though when he saw her his mood shifted to a pleased smile. "Well, I'll be… You're the Son lady, ain't ya?"

Mr Popo followed closely behind, muttering "I don't know, Pan. Something isn't right here"

"They're just competitors, Mr P" She whispered back before greeting the three "Yep. I'm Son Pan, the girl who landed on your friend's head. Sorry about that, by the way" Despite her apology, the dwarf still continued to glare at her. _Geez, I just landed on his head. It's not like I killed his dog or something._

The trucker waves his hand dismissively. "No apologies needed, we good. We all end up in some unfortunate position sometimes. Ain't that right, Dj?" He pats DJ on the head, pushing the dwarf towards Pan. "Don't be rude! give hurr ayy handshake ta show that there there's naw awful hard feelings. Ayy firm one"

"What did you say?" The accent made his sentence hard to understand sometimes.

"Handshake" Dj grunted, stretching out his hand

"Sorry 'bout the attitude. Dj is just getting those competitive urges rushing through 'em at the moment. Ya know. I'm Tucker by the way" Pan gripped the smaller man's hand as Tucker talked, the man then gesturing to the tallest of the three. "This is… Tail" He almost sniggered, Pan guessed it was a joke name. "He can talk, but he don't talk much"

"I can see that" Pan noted that Dj seemed to be squeezing her hand hard, so she followed suit and applied equal strength to his hand. Looking back up at Dj she could see him staring at her in the same way as before, though now she took the stare a bit differently. He increased his grip, so did she. He narrowed his eyes, Pan started to smirk, was he challenging her to something? For one minute, straight the two stared the other down, locked in a small and petty contest of who had the stronger hand shake. Tucker, Tails and Mr Popo were just awkwardly standing there wondering what was going on.

"If you keep this up, you're going to break something" Mr Popo's statement seemed to go to both of them, frowning as he reminded them. "There is to be no violence of any kind between competitors outside of the ring. If anything breaks, you will be disqualified"

At this both of them let go, Dj simply grunting again, turning around and walking away "I'll see you in the ring, Son"

"What's his problem?" Pan slammed her fist into her palm, she could tell that this guy was strong; she couldn't wait to meet him in battle. While her question sounded annoyed, she couldn't help but smirk.

"He's grumpy because he didn't get his milk and cookies before bed" Tucker shrugged with a coy wink. "Better go after him before he screws something up. Good luck, Son. I'll be watching from the side-lines"

"What? Aren't you going to be participating"

He laughed in response. "Me? Naw, I'm just sneaking in to get the best seats in the house. Because mark my words: This Tournament's gonna be a wild one. I can just tell"


	31. Time for Action! The Tournament Begins!

Pilaf would like to think that he was never one to turn the other cheek to danger, in fact some people would say the great emperor did not know the definition of danger. For there was no man mightier than the great Emperor Pilaf (And any you just thought of don't count!). But even he had to admit… "No, no, no! I am not going in there!"

"Don't be such a coward, Gibble" Bulma dismissed Pilaf's cry of fear as she rummaged through the back pack they brought along, looking for her capsule kit. She was still adamant on not remembering Pilaf's name. "We came here for a reason, and we're not leaving until we're done"

Behind her Mai and Shu were working on separating themselves from the rocky wall they'd climbed down, their clmbing equipment getting tangled up which was not made any better with the two constantly thrashing about. "We came here to find the ship. We found the ship, now let's leave before the aliens come and suck out our brains!" But Bulma just ignored him, finally pulling out the thin case that held several capsuels. "Then we can get 16, Trunks, ANYBODY to go and beat them up for us! Why do we have to go?"

"Because we can do this ourselves. Just because we're not super humans who can bench press mountains-" She took one capsule out, clicking the top of it with her thumb and throwing it off the edge of a small steep drop down below. "-doesn't mean we're helpless. Besides, we wouldn't be here if your 'genius' didn't show me what I needed for 16's upgrades" While her face was looking down to where the capsule smoke had faded to reveal a hover cycle, Pilaf could almost feel the smug look on her face.

By this point, Mai and Shu had given up and were tangled up, dangling loosely off the ground. "Yeah, thanks, Sire" They both groaned in unison.

But Pilaf had to put his foot down, for the sake of his loyal servants, of course. "I'm not going"

Bulma rolled her eyes "Yes, you are. We need to get in and out before any of those guys come back" A minute prior, the two remaining soldiers at the ship had given up on their game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' and flown off in a rush.

"I refuse! I'm sure purposely putting your employees in mortal danger is breaking some kind of-" Pilaf was not allowed to finish his sentence, as the toe end of Bulma's boot rammed into the small man's back, kicking him off the platform like a football. His landing was… Abrupt. And his many curses of Bulma's name only came out as muffled as he had landed face first into the dirt right beside the hover-cycle. "You will rue this day, Breifs! You are on my- Oh god, did something just crawl into my sleeve? Ew, ew, ew"

The likes of Mai and Shu came tumbling off the edge of the platform in a tangled heap, it seemed that Bulma had tried to cut them down, but only managed to get them rolling. They landed on top of Pilaf, stirring up a violent mini-whirlwind of dust. Bulma, on the other hand, found her landing quite safe and clean, propelling herself down with rope and sighing at what were supposed to be 'valued' employees. She was starting to regret bringing them. But she needed the extra hands, and she agreed with Trunks not to bring in anyone else on this whole thing.

As she mounted the hover bike, the trio managed to untangle themselves and get to their feet, Pilaf in particular grumbling as he stood by the hover cycle. She sighed, tapping her forehead in frustration "Good, you got down here. Now, hang on" They all shared a look of confusion. "What? It's a one-seater. Speed it up, we don't have all day" Hesitantly, Mai placed her hand on the vehicle, followed by Shu standing on the cover of the back wheel; Pilaf just grabbed the front, trying to throw his tiny legs over to get a good and balanced grip.

"Give me a sec-" You wouldn't be faulted for thinking Bulma couldn't hear Pilaf, as before he was even hallway through with getting on she blasted the engine and took off at top speed. Th experience could only be described as thrilling, Bulma had never tested this speed before, but just witnessing the wide-open mix of grass and desert blur together, with the wind crushing against her arms and whipping at her vision; it made her rather jealous of the Z-Fighters. They got to feel like this every time they flew!

"Pilaf, reach into the bag and bring out the ship schematics" Schematic taken from what little of Frieza's ship Bulma had remembered to scavenge back just before Goku destroyed it (And everybody had called her crazy when they found out she'd snuck aboard the ship while Goku and Frieza were swapping one-liners). "Mai, get me the tool box. And Shu, I need an E.M.P Deployer now; or we're toast" Strugling against the violent wind, Bulma's left hand relinquished it's grip on the handle, reaching back with an open palm for Shu as. The image of the ship growing as they closed in. I twas really starting to look intimidating. _It's certainly bigger than Frieza's ship, I hope that's the only part of the design that's changed over the years_

At this point, her watch began to beep, which came out as a low squeal over the howling of the wind. "Shu!" She screeched, staring down at the path ahead with panic in her eye. If the schematics were still relevant, Bulma knew there's be a 20 meter wide force field covering the perimeter around the ship, which would either sound the alarm that there are unauthorised personal near the ship; or activate an electrical field that would fry them all like Sunday night chicken. Either way, not gonna end well. _And I just did my hair..._

Thankfully, she finally felt Shu push a thin metal device into her palm, bringing it up in front of her eyes she could see it looked like a miniature mine. With the clock ticking down (Because Bulma wasn't the type of person to just stop the vehicle and throw it), Bulma closed her hand to make a fast, pressing down on the button atop of the mine and slotting it in her wrist watch. Of course, she couldn't just chuck it, the wind and momentum of the vehicle would just have it fall back towards her, instead she'd stored it in her wrist mounted 'micro launcher' (Something which she'd been dying to use for a year), to give the mine enough momentum to fight against the wind.

With a push of another button, the watch mechanisms propelled the small device into the air, pushing through the pressures of gravity and the lashings of the air, which would allow it to sail through the air for just about 5 seconds. Good thing the mine was set for 4.5 seconds. As it experienced the slight flick of the wind that would start its journey backwards, with .5 seconds to spare, the top section of the device erupted into what could be considered akin to a banshee scream.

The supersonic waves it was emitting to disrupt the ship's technology were virtually invisible to the naked eye, but Bulma could certainly witness the effect of the waves. Ahead of the hover cycle, just a few inches off, the field surrounding the ship became visible, lighting up in a parade of sparks and fizzing; all before breaking apart in a short-lived burst. Though the field wasn't the only tech effected by the E.M.P, which Bulma realised shortly after she noticed her vehicle slowing down to a complete stop, choking out its last few gasps of life through its engine before going completely stiff.

Bulma sighed. "Well, looks like Pilaf is staying behind to get this up and running again. Mai and Shu, you're with me" The old woman slid off the now dead machine. Her calm demeanour and spry steps were in stark contrast to the younger Pilaf Trio, who looked like the ride had taken their life away a few miles back, completely shaken; you'd never guess that Bulma was the oldest of the group. As much as age tried to weigh on her figure, Bulma never let it kill her energy and spirit. And as she had learned from Vegeta in the short time he spent with her, energy, determination, and spirit can keep a body moving past it's breaking point.

A few minutes later Bumla found herself standing directly underneath a section of the ship, her clothes fitted with enough straps and pockets for all her equipment. In her hand she held the schematics, comparing them to what she could see of the ship's underbelly, if her calculations were correct this would be the perfect blind spot to make their way aboard. Now, she just had to get up there…

All at once the weight of the task spoke up in her mind. It would be a race against time, no telling when those men would be back. Was she scared? Oh, quite terrified. She'd got a glimpse of Frieza and his men in action before. If they were caught, they were dead. If they got in there and the old schematics lead them wrong, they were dead. It was a very risky situation. But as a determined smile reached Bulma's lips, she realised that she liked it that way. "I need the laser saw, the grappling hook and something I can use as a platform…" She looked to Mai "I think one of the plates from the hover cycle will do" And to think, a few years ago she'd be the one with Pilaf, screaming for an opportunity to run.

Yamcha could play baseball with Gods. Vegeta could wrestle with the sun. Goku could take on someone far above him in every aspect and still pull a win. They were fighters, they had pride, that's what they did. But Bulma had pride to uphold too. _I couldn't do anything when the androids attacked us first. I couldn't do anything but look away from everyone I cared about being slaughtered. This time… Whether it's the Androids coming back for round 2, or Frieza and his mooks sniffing for revenge. This time I refuse to be a bystander. Because I'm Bulma Brief's, damn it!  
_

* * *

After the encounter with the odd trio and Mr Popo, Pan's experience with the preliminaries passed in a flurry of blows and selected moments. Her first fight had ended in seconds, one shockwave in the air from her fist was all it took to push her opponent off the ring. The next opponent had managed to last longer, using quick words and strange movements to confuse her, almost leading her to the edge of the ring; but a blur of split-second footwork allowed her to tip-toe out of a loss.

She'd like to remember her final match as a fight too awesome to even explain, or look back on. So, by the time she entered the main building of the tournament grounds, one of eight following the loud mother announcer, she had forgotten the third match. Instead, she found her eyes darting around the room as her future opponents dispersed to get their own space, sizing up each one with a critical eye. Pan already noticed those she had expected to be there.

"Alright, people. This is it. You're the eight on top of the world. The meanest, baddest and most gifted fighters on this planet! Doesn't that get you excited!?" Every time the Announcer talked, Pan only had the thought of how little justice those old TV recordings and radio broadcasting did for the guy. Even when using his indoor voice, his words were full of excitement and energy, pumping so hard that even without the microphone, you'd think his voice was being filtered through one. Then again, who else would you expect to be the front seat witness to all the craziness that occurred in the World Tournament?

At his excited probing, the level of energy seemed to die down, almost all the other competitors simply standing in awkward silence. Though as Pan tried to pump her fist in the air to show her support for the announcer, she could hear one guy let out a weak 'yahoo?'. Maybe they were just all tired. The Announcer didn't seem too deterred by this, though you could see his smile falter for a moment "Okay… You're right, I don't need to hear you say it, I can feel the violent explosions of intense emotion swirling round us!" Another awkward pause, Pan raised her hand to try and sound excited, but the atmosphere forced her nerves to bring her hand down into a cough. "Well, you can't dampen my spirit. I know how things will heat up when the bouts start. You don't know how much I've missed this job"

Kasonna had resigned herself to stand against the wall, a skin-stretching grin etched into her face, as unnatural looking as always. Mr Popo had his gaze firmly pinned to the Dwarf and Pony tail duo (She had to think a moment to remember their names: Dj and Tail), his features narrowed in a constant effort of suspicion. And the duo in question were focused on keep quiet and… Yeah, still looking at Pan. "I see a lot of new faces here, maybe the face of a new champion? Eh?... I'll just skip straight to the proceedings then"

The announcer clapped his hands together, breathing in the atmosphere and letting out a grin, as if he was hyping himself up for his performance. "Using the preliminaries, you can see we've narrowed the contestants down to eight" With a dramatic wave of his hand, he struck a pose, showing eight fingers. "This is how the tournament goes. Two versatile opponents enter the ring when called and fight 'till either one is knocked out of the ring, one gives up or one is down for ten seconds. No killing, no aiming for the eyes or the happy sacks. Good, honest, TV Friendly fighting!"

He pauses to allow for any questions, but it was simple enough for everyone to understand, which gave him some relief. "The tournament will consist of three brackets. The Quarter-finals, the Semi-finals and the Finals! Win your match, you go into the next bracket. If you don't have any questions, I can reveal to you the order in which you'll fight" He strolled across the square room, arriving at a set of large, spotless doors made of oak, which the Announcer put his ear up against with a coy smirk. "Can you hear that? I think we've kept the audience waiting long enough!"

Before anyone could get a word out, the Announcer, in a burst of energy, slammed his foot into the line where both doors connected; kicking them open. Suddenly Pan's eyes were assaulted by a sea of light flooding into the room, accompanied by the now audible cheers and screams of the crowd. After rubbing her eyes Pan realised that on the other side of the doors stood a short intersection, flanked by two large signs, with two walls running parallel to each other to form a small courtyard outside of the Fighter's waiting room, leaving one opening opposite the building that opened up to reveal the main event; the Tournament Stadium.

Once again, the Announcer took lead, a microphone now in his hand as he strode through the archway, taking in the crowd. "Welcome, ladies and gentleman! Are you ready for the greatest line up of fighters to duke it out for the championship title?" The cheering rose at the announcer's appearance, and it took all of Pan's strength to resist cheering alongside them. She needed someone to pinch her, because she couldn't believe she was really here. "Are you ready to meet our warriors?" Pan could hear the distinctive yelling of both her mother and grandmother, with a smile she looked to the source of their voices to find he two standing on top of their seats, screaming their lungs to death. Though they placed themselves far apart from each other, exchanging glare over the head of the old man who stood between them.

"Wait a minute…" Pan gasped as her eyes fell upon the man, though no one could hear her over the crowd or the announcer. There was no mistaking it, the bald head, the long beard, crooked grin, crison shades and a giant turtle shell? "That's Master Roshi!" She was starting to understand those girls who start hyperventilating when they see their favourite celebrity in public. Yeah, she had met the old man a few times (Though her mother repeatedly told her that she didn't feel comfortable with Roshi talking to her), but he was going to watch her fight in the tournament? That was on a whole new level.

The urge to faint came when the old Master gave her a wave along with a toothy grin. "Now, please give an enthusiastic welcome to all our fighters! These brave warriors that fought their way through the preliminary rounds and seek victory in the finals!" By this point they had all reached the main tournament stage, standing in the middle while two bald men in orange robes hurried after them; one holding a white box while the other wheeled in a white board. "To employ fairness into how we decide the match ups, we will call each contestant up to pick a number from within the box, which will decide which bracket match they'll fight in! When I call out a name, that contestant will step up to get a number"

It wasn't a long process; the audience were already getting twitchy so there was no attempt to draw the proceedings out. By the end of it, Pan had drawn the number '1', which she thought was only natural for her to pull out. She kept her eyes closed for the rest of it, she wanted to surprise herself on who her first opponent would be. "The match ups for the first round have been set!" _Alright, looks like I'm opening this tournament._

"First up, we have Son Pan VS Mr Popo!" She was a bit surprised, but pleasantly so. This was one of the people who helped train her grandfather, he was bound to have some tricks up his sleeve. Though speaking of tricks, she still hadn't figured out what exactly Mr Popo did to that other fighter. _I'll figure it out somehow, though. I'm not losing in the first round._

"Next comes Kasonna, up against Schnitzel!" Kasonna, Pan knew and expected to be here, but as soon as she looked at this Schnitzel guy, she was in doubt. He was a short fox-man and he looked absolutely terrified, his bright orange fur standing on it's end as he gave Kasonna a nervous cry. He wasn't even dressed for a fight, he was only waring a business suit. What the hell?

"The third match is between DJ and Tao Pai Pai!" The name echoed across the stadium like a bomb hitting the end of its fuse. Silence falling over the audience, the excitement wheezing to a halt like a balloon letting all its air out. Pan immediately looked to DJ's opponent, and sure enough there was the man she really should have noticed by now. THE Tao Pai Pai, the mercenary known for his killer tongue and pink attire (Some even say the guy rips things like pillars or trees out of the ground and THROWS them across the planet like javelin, just so he can jump atop and ride them). The last anyone had heard of the man had been the same tournament that was overshadowed by the appearance of King Piccolo's son, Piccolo.

"This has to be against the rules" Pan spluttered out. "Wasn't he disqualified and arrested for trying to KILL his opponent in the last tournament he participated in?!" She was caught off guard when the crowd shouted out their support, booing at the mercenary who only continued to grin at the outbursts. "And I thought no weapons are allowed in the fights... Those have to count!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the clearly metallic cybernetic implants that decorated the man, the upper portion of his head completely covered by emotionless robotic eyes.

"Hold your tongue, girl. And show some respect. Less you ask even more stupid questions" His voice was like pure venom lashing out at Pan, causing a slight shiver in her ears, but that wasn't enough to stop Pan from glaring at him. "If any of that mattered or effected my participation in this current tournament, I would not be standing here listening to you dribble out words before thinking" Hi cruel gaze turned away from Pan in a lazy manner, as if she was so far below Tao's notice that it was aggravating to just look at her. Instead, his eyes looked to his opponent. "So, I am to be fighting the purple munchkin? Hmpf, he should count himself lucky he'll only be the first victim"

"Now, now, save that animosity for the ring, people!" The Announcer let out the most fake laugh he could muster, standing between the two and turning towards the audience. "It has been many years since Mr Tao's disqualification, long enough for us not to hold it against him, as long as he adheres to the rules this time. As anyone who's read the updated rule book will know, there has been an… Adjustment to the 'No Weapons' rule. As long as the weapons are approved by our Tournament officials as non-lethal, they are allowed. This includes blunt instruments, armor and- You get the picture"

"That's a load of crap!" The boos began to pour in, the Announcer only able to hold up his hands in verbal defence. "I thought this was supposed to be a martial arts tournament!" He had to repeat peaceful proverbs through the microphone to keep the crowd calm "YOUR HAIR IS DUMB!" One last jab got in before the audience fell silent.

"Before I was interrupted…" He coughed into his fist, desperately trying to get the crowd excited again. "And to end the Quarter-finals, it's Tails VS Banner!" The Banner guy looked like more what you'd expect of a fighter, traditional blue gi only covering half of his upper chest, putting his arms on display. Muscles to spare. Though the black mohawk was different.

Pan remembered seeing a few of his fights in the preliminaries. He was a man who preferred not to dirty his own hands, relying on quick footwork and powerful kicks that sent fighters reeling. She couldn't figure out just how strong he is or how he compared to her or any other fighter, but she knew that he was at least above average. Maybe Tails would get some trouble from the guy.

"And with that, I'd like to request that all fighters return to the waiting room to rest up and prepare for the fight. While we set up the first match, feel free to embellish refreshments from the kitchen!" The cheering began to start back up against as they all left the stage, Pan a tad disappointed that she wouldn't have time to feast before her match with Mr Popo.

As they reached the doors, she turned to her opponent and held out her hand "I hope you give it your all, Mr P"

"You as well, Pan. I won't lie, witnessing your experience as a fighter up front will be a pleasure. I hope you took Trunks's lessons to heat" His face lit up with a smile, taking her hand in a firm grip. But following up his reply, his voice turned to a more amused and sinister tone "Though if I could offer you some free advice: Stay focused"

So, he already had a strategy? Pan couldn't fight the smile on her face. All while in the background the crowd cheered, and the Announcer held in tears of joy as he shouted the words he was born to shout to the world.

 **"I hope you're as pumped as I am, because: THE GRAND -RE-OPENING OF THE WORLD TOURNAMENT HAS FINALLY BEGUN!"**


	32. Self-insight or Self-delusion?

**Sorry for the late update, was having some computer troubles.**

* * *

Ten minutes, Pan was given ten minutes to prepare for the opening fight of the tournament. Being the disciplined and hardworking fighter she was, she of course spent this time stuffing her face full of every piece of meat she could reach. Other competitors sat in awe as Pan seemed to take the form of a human vacuum cleaner, sucking up platefuls of food into the endless abyss that was her gob without even taking a moment to chew.

"She's definitely related to Son Goku…" Was all the announcer could mutter, crouching behind Mr Popo in hopes of avoiding any misdirected flakes of food flying through the air. It was almost comical to look to Pan's savage mutilation of the table in comparison to Mr Popo calmly chipping away at his small salad, acting as if a slight breeze had just flown in.

Tao stood against the wall, turning his head away with disgust, muttering to himself about Pan reminding him of some 'Spikey-haired punk'. Pigtails and DJ simply sat back, almost looking jealous at Pan's display. Schnitzel and Banner seemed to be the odd ones out in this equation, just off to the side, having a conversation of their own while ignoring Pan's terrible manners, Banner standing tall and confident while Schnitzel seemed to grow timid and quiet.

Pan's gorging was interrupted by a flicker in the corner of her eye instantly reminding her that Kassonna was right beside her, inhuman smile, and all. Just the sight of the woman almost made Pan's heart leap out of her chest. It was now that Pan noticed another thing about her, that look the woman gave, the aura she exuded, an air of recognition that she shouldn't have. Like when you realise someone knows something about you that even you don't know.

"Eating well, Champ?" Kassonna leaned over Pan (Making the Saiyan side of Pan practically growl at the prospect of the woman being near her food), craning her neck to look down at Pan, her hands clasped together in a polite manner.

Pan never listened to her mother on not speaking with your mouth full "Sh-am-paf?"

"Of course, I mean; you do intend to become the champ, don't you, dear?" She tilts her body, attempting to be reassuring. "Oh, I know it might seem intimidating and all, but I'm sure you have a fighting chance this time! I mean, Schnitzel is an unexpected change. Maybe you'll get lucky and he'll sweep me off the arena"

 _Well, at least she's confident that I'll beat Mr P._ Pan took a moment to swallow down the food, she couldn't try and look arrogant with food on her face. She glanced to the fox-man, who's glasses had ended up on the floor, forcing him scavenge the floor for them. Him constantly kicking the glasses away by accident only made him look more unimpressive. "Yeah, I'm sure Schnitzel is your biggest problem"

"You, of all people, should know that looks can be deceiving" The words made Pan wonder if the woman knew how suspicious and uncomfortable she made herself look.

"You're pretty confident that you can kick my ass, aren't you?" While she spoke mockingly, Pan didn't doubt that Kasonna did have some sort of power or ace up a sleeve. But Pan refused to be intimidated… This time. The food helped.

"Don't worry, dearie. I know you'll put up an admirable fight, you always did" Pan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. _She makes it sound like we've met before, fought before; but there's no way I'd forget someone like…. THIS._ Kasonna's straining smile then faltered to a weary pout, her body turning to lean against the table, sighing. "And to think, Trunks won't even be here to cheer you on. He never gets here in time, that meeting with Frap takes too long"

At this, Pan froze. The sentence repeating in her head with an icy edge, only her fear and paranoia allowed to paw at the words, scrounging for only the worst conclusions. In her head, that sort of sounded like a subtle threat to guide Pan's actions. Or perhaps a boast that this woman had done something to Trunks. But in the jumbled mass of conflicting conclusions racing through her mind, Pan could only come out with "You know Trunks?" As that was, of course, the most important piece of information.

"Trunks? Oh… I know him..." The giggle of a school girl that broke out, followed by a sigh of content reminiscing, gave Pan the distinct impression that Kasonna was only a second away from adding on 'intimately'. "Such a charmer. Though, very easily distracted, that one. When duty called" It was strange to hear Kasonna's chirping voice in contrast to the frown that broke onto her lips, standing out as the first thing Pan felt was real. "But… That was long ago…"

Of course, this only made Pan's paranoia quickly come to the forefront of her mind to suggest the worst implications. _So, Crazy Ex-girlfriend? Stalker? All of the above? Never thought I'd hear about Trunks dating._ It wasn't that Pan thought Trunks wasn't an attractive guy (She would never admit such a compliment to his face, or she'd lose the privilege of insulting his hair), but by the time he grew out of the whole 'The-Opposite-gender-is-icky!' phase, he had dedicated his heart and soul to the Android menace. Outside of his mother and Gohan, Pan could only remember him closing himself off to the world. "Huh… He never made time for anything else. Even when everything was peaceful again" Pan felt herself mutter out the rest of her thought aloud, with a rather bitter tone. If Kasonna heard she didn't let on.

"The nice Announcer man is going to call you in one minute. Had better get a head start now, honey" Before Pan could mutter a response, a long, pale finger (More like a large icicle) poked against her forehead. And the moment the freezing touch of the finger reached Pan's skin, it was like a bolt of lightning had struck her brain, the world around her crushed in mere seconds under the weight of an array of images that flashed in the depths of her mind.

The sky, the walls, the floor, the people; everything enveloped in a never-ending whirlpool of white. Her limbs crying, her blood burning, and despite her confusion she could feel a predatory grin stretching her cheeks until they ached. She didn't know why, but she felt hot, excited, she wanted to let out a laugh that would echo to every corner of the void.

At first, the pain shocked her, drained her, shook her, but even if she didn't want to admit it; it started to feel good. The aching increased up her leg, something was punctured, letting everything within pool out in a stream of boiling passion. _D-did I just think that?_ As if the pain gave her the release of a thousand years of built up aggression. _What did that Witch-Doll do to me!?_

She lifted her hands, hoping to wipe away the sweat produced by her burning flesh, only to find herself gaping. The light peachy tone of her skin could barely be seen through the crimson pool that stained her fingers, strings of blood joining her fingers together with their sticky texture. Her fingers moved on their own, moving to rub her fingers together, enjoying the balanced feel of smooth and rough. _This isn't my blood… Is it?_ Somehow, she knew it wasn't. Maybe some of her own blood was mixed in, but there was definitely another's in there, maybe one or two others.

When her fingers separated again her eyes finally looked through the gap created between them, through her hand she spotted the first sign of any other colour; black. It was a person, a silhouette of a person. They were face first into the ground and casted no shadow, nor did they make any noise. She knew that he was dead. And she was shocked that she couldn't make herself feel less happy about that.

The more she looked, the more her bones began to shake with a wave of ecstasy. More and more bodies began to pile up around her, blocking out the empty void and filling it with a scent of satisfaction. They were dead, all dead, she made sure. Some put up a fight, while others fell to the wayside like sand. Her only regret was that it was over.

She couldn't vomit, she couldn't cringe, couldn't cry, couldn't let out any sign of utter disgust. _I… I feel… Satisfied._ It was almost orgasmic.

And then everything began to be pulled back, the scenery, the landscape, the people; everything was sucked away from her. Maybe she finally succumbed to the pain, maybe gravity was just too much for her, but she fell to her knees. The sense of fulfilment gone, the void empty again. Leaving her with only a sickening laugh surrounding her, drowning her with it's merciless amusement.

"What did you do!?" The words came naturally to Pan as she found herself back in the Tournament waiting room, a desperate roar of anger and shock aimed at the grinning woman sitting on the table. Now back to reality, Pan's heart cried out in a silent sob, that treasured reaction of disgust and horror thankfully finding her. "You… You… Witch!"

"Think of it as a helpful hint…" Kasonna tapped her hand against her cheek, pushing her head to tilt to the side in a thinking motion. "…Or more of a teaser. It won't make sense right away, of course; but it'll dawn on you at the convenient and dramatically suitable moment. Either way, I'm sure you're excited. I know I am"

"I don't know what you did to me" Pan shook again, but this time with anger taking over, a weak hand reaching up to grasp her shoulder. She never wanted to temp that 'vision' again. On the bright side, any prior fear she had of the woman had been overridden this anger. "But you better beat that Fox, because I'm going to kick your ass in the ring!"

There came the hyena-like laugh, her hands shooting up to grip Pan's cheeks. "And I can't wait to see that beautiful face when you do. I know your expression will just be… Priceless" Kasonna leaned closer, her face darkening until all that was visible were puffy crimson lips, pressing against Pan's forehead. "And I'll make sure to put it in my pocket, to keep until the end of time"

It took all of Pan's willpower to stop her from decking the witch out cold, but even with all that was going on; Pan refused to jeopardise her position in the tournament "Now, if you excuse me; I have a genie to knock back into the lamp"

* * *

For once Trunks found a foreign comfort in the cold, the army of snowflakes dancing with the harsh winter winds descended upon him the moment he dropped down into the snow tipped landscape surrounding Jingle Village, sticking to his skin and sucking at his warmth like leeches. The annoying twinges of pain provided relief for the demi-saiyan, a pinching sensation that kept his mind focused on what was going on around him, instead of leaving room for his mind to start playing dead games with his perceptions of reality.

Around him there wasn't much to see, Jingle village wasn't a closely-knit community, just a bunch of dome shaped homes spaced apart over a bumpy terrain with a cobblestone road running through it. A tall tower of brick and metal looming in the distance. Outside of that, it was just long stretches of white blankets over grass, sprinkles of ice decorating dense groups of trees, and maybe some mountains far off back were Trunks had flown from.

 _Not many people would brave the environment to travel out here, so not many outsiders. Pretty isolated all things considered._ Trunks thought as his eyes combed over the view _Perfect place for a mad scientist to indulge his obsessions._ At the thought Trunks felt a jolt of aggression strike at his mind, his teeth grinding against one another. "If Frap is a part of all this…"

Before reaching the village, Trunks had made sure to comb through all data his mother had on the scientist, wanting to know exactly who he was dealing with. Lucky for Trunks, Bulma had taken to storing information about all the adventures of her late friend; Son Goku. Even when she wasn't there for them. Years before Trunks had even been born, this village had been under the control of the Red Ribbon army when they were searching for the Dragon Balls. After freeing the village (By breaking the bones of every Red Ribbon soldier in sight), Goku had apparently met the good Doctor.

Trunks noted to himself that this Frap was as old as a fossil when Goku was a kid, so the fact the man still lived and breathed to this day was instantly suspicious. "If he worked with Gero on the Androids, maybe he's also responsible for Gero's brain ending up in an Android body. Or maybe he was the first test subject for that project"

"Oi! Hey, you there!" As a natural reflex, the tone of a loud elderly voice made Trunks stand at attention, his head snapping to look back over towards the village. Most of the woman's height was made up of the large fur trapper hat that seemed far too large for her, though even through the filter of the snow, her fiery hair stood out. "Whatcha doing standing out in the cold without any fur? You'll catch… Um… You'll catch a cold beast?"

 _Mom mentioned an old red head…_ The boy moved towards her, noticing the approaching man behind her, tall and hulking, somewhat hunched. "Ah, are you Chief Suno?" He asked in a friendly manner, the man finally came into full view with a large smile pinned to his cheeks, wide eyes twinkling with mirth. Which conflicted with the man's outward appearance of a towering Frankinstine monster, covered in stitched, wearing a blue jacket. Trunks found himself recognising the man from pictures 16 had received a few times. _An Android…_ He noted to himself. Trunks didn't remember how Android 16 had come into contact with Andorid 8, but it was the first thing 16 mentioned to Trunks when they started exchanging letters.

"That's my name, ain't it?" She clapped her hands together, before her eye brows furrowed, a hint of frustration as she strained her brain. "Do I know you?"

Android 8- Eighter, as Android 16 referred to the man, seemed to recognise Trunks. "I know who it is- "

"Don't tell me, Eighter! I can figure it out myself" She pouted as Eighter let out a small chuckle, before inching closer to Trunks, narrowing her eyes on him. "I got it…. You're that Bulma lady that makes all the machines in the cities!"

Trunks's prior thoughts all turned blank as his expression widened in shock. "Wha- No! I'M NOT A GIRL!"

She leaned closer, one eye widening. Unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure. I assure you, I check a few times every month!" He'd always heard he'd inherited his mother's beauty from the gene pool (Well, Bulma was the one who told him this), but he didn't look THAT much like her. Did he?

"Suno, that's Trunks! He's Bulma's son" The Android lunges forward, which made Trunks tense up on pure instinct despite knowing the man would pose no threat to him. Eighter eagerly grabbed Trunks by the hand to initiate a rather 'excited' handshake. "He's friends with 16. 16 says a lot about his other friends-" Eighter paused for a moment, gaping as if he had said something offensive. "-N-nothing bad! All good things!"

Trunks chuckled, relaxing his shoulders a bit before returning the handshake with an equal amount of vigour "I'm sure 16, of all people, wouldn't say anything bad behind my back" At least Trunks hoped.

"It is good to meet you, Trunks. A friend of 16 is always welcome in our village… Everyone is welcome in our village, except those who make people suffer like the Red Ribbon Army"

"How is 16? We haven't heard from him in a while" Suno backed off now, back to an innocent smile while she tried to keep the oversized fur hat on her head, fighting against the strong wind.

"He's been pretty busy lately; Capsule Corporation has some…. Big projects coming up" Trunks wouldn't say he had the best poker face, so he decided to go for a little white lie.

Eighter nodded at this, his smile notably warm in the cold weather. "He's a hard worker. I wish I could help him, but I can't leave Jingle Village on its own"

Suno poked his shoulder, laughing "Hey, don't start complaining now! If you were over there, you'd be too busy to watch the World Tournament with me"

"World Tourna-" Trunks stopped himself with a mental slap to the face, a groan leaving his throat as the reminder came screaming through his ear. _Pan! I took off without a word, and she made me promise I'd be there too. If I hurry with this, maybe I can get there in time to cheer her on… She is not going to let me hear the end of this._ "I'd love to stay and talk some more, but I'm here on urgent business. Do you know where I can find a Dr Frap? I'm told he lives around here"

"Dr who?" Suno pursed her lips in confusion. "I don't know a Doctor Frap, but maybe Doctor Flappe would know him"

Trunks paused for a moment, looked down to the small device he'd been reading the database from, and took a moment to curse his tongue. "I've been pronouncing it wrong this whole time…" He muttered to himself, before looking up "Oh, if it's not too much trouble, could you point me in the direction to Flappe?"

Eighter laugh once more, throwing his arm around Trunks's shoulders "I'll lead the way, Trunks!"


	33. Bad Blood

Before the competitors had even emerged from the Tournament hall for the introduction ceremony, Chi-Chi and Videl were already at each other's throats, in a glaring match that managed to cause three rows of people who did not want to get caught up in the crossfire to inch away. Not even five minutes since Chi-Chi got to her seat and she was already barking up a storm about Videl leaving the 'Poor Old Lady' to struggle with a hammer, though Videl was quick to respond on how she didn't dis-agree with Chi-Chi being a frigid, fragile, hag. After that, they didn't really know what direction the conversation was going in.

"-nd I was stuck with that damn game for over twenty minutes. Because some rotten floozie was too lazy to help her elders" Chi-chi held up the stuffed bunny, waving it around enthusiastically. "An Old Lady who just wanted to get her Granddaughter a 'Good Luck' present. Any GOOD mother-" A lot of emphasis on the 'good'. "-would be thrilled to help get their daughter such a present. But then again, I was mixing you up with all the other girls my son could have married…"

"I'm a great mother! Pan's a god damn adult, she doesn't want a stuffed bunny. Last thing she needs is a sign that we still see her as a little kid" Videl violently shoved the stuffed animal out of her face, the two woman's glares emitting sparks between them. "If you wanna make her life worse, why don't you just hold up her baby pictures during her fights?"

For a moment Videl could hear a small russle of cloth as Chi-Chi shoved something back into her pocket. "Y-you don't know what she wants"

"She's my daughter!"

Chi-chi spat back in a tone harsher than she originally intended. "Funny, I couldn't tell. If Ii didn't know any better then I'd think she raised herself"

"Oh, what would you know?"

"I raised two children!"

Videl put on a forced and obviously not sincere smile as she tried to speak calmly "That's great and all, but Pan's MY kid. Not yours. I raise her my way."

For a moment Chi-chi was quiet, Videl taking this as the woman taking time to think of a comeback. "At least you managed to keep her living in your house" It didn't sound like an insult, though Chi-chi's voice did sound grumpy with the answer.

"What kind of pot shot is that?"

The old woman seemed to stack on a few years for that moment, looking a tad confused "I don't think it was…" But Videl didn't have time to respond.

"Hehehehehehehe" Chi-chi shook off her momentary wrinkles at the loud, boisterous laugh erupting from behind them. Recognition written in her facial expression. "Oh my, curves in the right places... what a beautiful figure!" The voice sounded breathy and penetrating, getting closer as Videl's sixth sense trembled with the knowledge that the person's eyes were on her. "You're making me itch all over!"

Chi-chi let out a happy sigh, reaching into the folds of her blue kimono grabbing a hold of something. "I'd recognised those perverted cries anywhere" Before pulling her hand out, revealing that she had grabbed ahold of the handle of a large black frying pan, seconds before snapping to face the owner of the voice and slamming the kitchen utensil over his head; accompanied by a thunderous metal THUMP. "You never change"

Videl was of two minds when she turned around, completely speechless as she took in the victim, an old man. One part of her was dealing with the fact that Chi-Chi had assaulted an old man Who looked way weaker, meeker and overall smaller than her) with a blunt, metal object. But another part of her was a bit scared of just how quickly and efficiently the old woman had retrieved and used said weapon. Does she always have a frying pan at the ready!?

"Ah, Chi-chi! Haven't lost your… Passion I see…" The man swayed dizzily for a moment, his red rimmed sunglasses worse for wear as they hung from his bloody nose. Though when his eyes landed on Chi-chi, he immediately snapped out of his 'dazed' state with a toothy grin. "Still the voluptuous hot head I remember!"

The most notable thing about the old man was the purple turtle shell hanging on his back, which immediately caused a name to click into Videl's head. "You're Muten Roshi!"

"You're a fan, ey? Well, if you don't mind I could show you a few secret moves later in priv-" His grinning response was cut short by Chi-chi reaching forward and violently grabbing his ear, twisting it with an expression of utter exasperation.

"Master Roshi, this is Videl; Gohan's Wife and Widow-" As she grumbled, Chi-Chi shot Videl a glare while slowly nodding "-And. She's. Not. Interested."

He still managed to laugh in response, though stopping to grimace at the immense pain of Chi-Chis pinching. "I was just trying to show her how much she brightens up this old man's lonely days!"

Chi-Chi let go with a roll of the eyes, though a slight smile as if she was dwelling on a passing memory. "What are you doing here, anyway? Just came to prey on innocent women?"

Roshi nursed his ear with one hand while his other went to smooth down his shirt, his breath slow and steady as he tried to avoid poking the bear. "You mean why am I at the tournament, or why I came over here?" He laugh for a few awkward moments at his own 'joke', before realising that no one else thought it was funny. "Well, with the big crowd backing away and all the empty seats, I thought maybe Launch was already here shooting up the joint. Haven't had much of a chance to… Reconnect. Not a lot of old friends remaining these days" He purses his lips, his voice going soft. "Suppose that's what happens when you live as long as me. Pushing 300, I think; Lost count at 103"

"You came to see Pan fight, didn't you?" Videl interjected with a small smile, if there was one thing people could find common ground these days it was all the people they outlasted. Not a good fact to dwell on.

"Course I came to see the little scamp, I owe it to Goku and Trunks to see how far she's come" He moved over to the railings, looking over the smooth cut grass and stainless stone of the arena. It was a nostalgic sight. "To be thrown into the ring is crucial moment for a martial artist. A true fighter can't truly improve themselves until they're shown how far they still have to go, and the only way they'll be able to see through that fog is through facing defeat at the hands of the more experienced" He dropped the perverted act for a moment, his smile warm and unwavering. If he looked just right he could even picture Goku in the ring, facing down against the likes of Tien or Piccolo. Determined.

Videl gave a slow nod, understanding the basics, but as someone who didn't really learn her combat prowess from what others would say 'traditional' sources, she wasn't well versed in the smaller details. "I guess that makes sense…"

He looked up towards the sky for a moment, his fingers tapping against the railing. His tongue clicked. "Let me put it this way… Do you think Earthlings would ever try to reach the sky if it was only as tall as the trees?" He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Anyway, as a Master of my own school of arts; I'm intrigued to see the style that emerged from Trunks's training methods. I already have a few guesses, but we'll see"

Chi-chi clasped her hands together, nodding. "My father used to tell me that you could tell a lot about a master from observing a dedicated student"

"Don't make this old man nostalgic, now" Roshi chuckled, gripping his staff tighter "Thinking about the old days just reminds me of how old I am! It was bad enough when Trunks was asking me for teacher tips!"

While Videl giggled at this, Chi-chi's eyes narrowed into a suspicious gaze, soon glowering down at Roshi. "You gave him tips?" Roshi looked confused, what had he done this time? "You better not have put any perverted ideas of training into Trunks head!"

She reached to grab his beard, but Roshi was ready this time and scuttled over to Videl (Standing as close as he could without her noticing) "H-how dare you accuse me of such a thing! I may be a perverted old man, but I still take the training of the youngsters very seriously! I just helped the boy with schedules, location suggestions and some basic training routines. I even threw in some wise-sounding mumbo-jumbo about finding his own way" Thinking back to it now, Roshi had stopped to stroke his beard. "I did send him some dirty magazines to borrow as a good luck present… Never got it back"

At this, the two women pressed their hands against their foreheads, half-way through groaning and sighing. Videl was the one to speak "You know, some people just send chocolates or something"

"What? Every grown man needs a ready supply of private relief, or else we'd all go crazy. I was doing him a favour!" Roshi crossed his arms, indignant. "I don't know about you, but the last thing we need is a mindless frustrated Saiyan"

Before the conversation could continue, the whine of a microphone's backlash pierced their ears, bringing their attention to the square arena in the centre of the stadium. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for the greatest line up of fighters to duke it out for the championship title?"

Roshi's eyes immediately landed on Pan, already mentally noting that she had definitely developed (In the muscle department, of course), and her eyes seemed to find him just as quick; immediately resulting in her face shifting to look akin to a deer caught in head lights. So, Roshi simply smiled a simple smile, nodded, and waved. Perverted inclinations aside, Roshi found a certain warmth in how excited she looked; perhaps it as the traces of Goku in her, or maybe it just took Roshi back to his first ever tournament. How he longed to relive that feeling again.

"There she is!" Chi-chi squealed

"I know. I have eyes" Videl barked back

His fighting instincts instantly encouraged Roshi to look over who Pan will be facing. I was a rather tame looking roster compared to past tournaments, though Roshi had to do a double-take at the small, nervous fox in a suit. _To eyes that lack experience, this would be a time to underestimate him. But with all I've seen, meekness always seems to be early warning signs of something greater in fighters._ The familiar sight of Mr Popo was a welcome one, despite the power difference Roshi was fully confident the man would give Pan a good fight. And then there was… "-and Tao Pai Pai!"

"Master Roshi, isn't that…?" Chi-chi didn't really need to ask, she had a clear memory of that tournament day since it was coincidentally the day of Goku's proposal to her.

Roshi's brow furrowed, his eyes moving to scan the watching crowd, searching for any sign of Tao's brother, and the Turtle School's rival, Shen. "Was the shame of defeat back then not enough for you, Tao?" He spoke through gritted teeth, and for a moment he saw the assassin look directly at him through cold eyes before snapping to spit insults towards Pan. "You have no thirst for improvement or glory, Tao. Why would you return here? Have you really changed in all these years?"

Videl slammed her hands against the railing, glaring daggers at Tao with the type of fury only a mother could exude. "Hold her tongue? Show respect?! How about a better idea, Pinkie; how about I punch you in the throat so hard you won't have the air to speak to my little girl like that!? Bastard. I hope that midget humiliates you"

At her anger, a small trivia note came to mind. "Videl, your father. He was Hercule Satan, correct?" Videl gave a curt nod, her eyes still locked on Tao's form, an insult about his hair on her lips. "He took the name Satan in reference to his training at the 'Satan Castle' dojo, wasn't it? I wonder if you still hold your Father's bad blood here"

"Am I missing something?" Chi-chi questioned, dumbfounded.

"Tao Pai Pai is very insecure man" Videl's answer was firm, almost growling. "My dad told me about it once, when he was young and still in-training, when he watched Tao murder his master with a simple flick of a tongue. Just for making fun of that stupid pony tail. He always said it was the most shameful moment of his life. Never let it go…"

"And that lead to drastic actions" Roshi stood at full height now, placing a comforting hand on Videl's shoulder. Letting the implication hang in the air.

Chi-chi turned back to the arena, a worried sigh "Do you think he'd go after Pan?"

"If he does, he's not stepping out of that ring alive" Videl spat out, raising a fist and slamming it back down on the surface below.

"Don't let anger cloud your heart, young lady" Another comforting pat, Roshi's tone taking on a more light and gentle sound. "It's a beautiful day, and we're here to see your daughter participate in her first tournament. Tao has lost all that makes him a man, the shell of shame that stands upon the arena is not worth running your daughter's great day, is he?" He gave another toothy grin, Videl nodding. "Now, let's see a smile; Pan's about to come on"

* * *

By the time the audience's multiple outbursts had died down, Pan hadn't even realised that she was on the tournament stage. The announcer was already standing front and centre, his entire body basking in the attention he received from the crowd. It took a few moments of blinking for Pan to fully ground herself back into reality, as ever since she left the presence of that woman her head had been firmly left standing in the fleeting images that did nothing but make her blood boil.

"Are you feeling okay, miss?" Looking up, Pan found that the announcer had turned away from his spotlight to lean over towards her, covering the microphone while he gave he a worried look. It was almost unnerving to see such an energetic man looking worried. "You're looking a bit green"

"It's nothing" Pan spat out through gritted teeth, her anger flaring up as (Even if she couldn't see Kassy) she knew Kasonna was sitting atop the outer walls of the main tournament building, probably with that fake, unnatural smile stretching across her leather skin. _Just don't look. Focus on the match. You can beat her ass into the ground when you make it to the second round._

"Alrighty then!" The announcer's usual energized demeanour returned as he jumped back to the audience, yelling into the microphone. "That's about enough stalling, don't you agree!?" Another round of cheers from the audience really did help lift Pan's spirits, their excitement was contagious enough to dampen the source of her current anger.

As the announcer began his opening spiel Pan fully turned to face her opponent, a smirk tugging back onto her lips, allowing a bit of her ego to seep out to front of her mind. Mr Popo didn't seem at all intimidated by this, simply keeping on his warm smile and matching her competitive stare with an encouraging one. "Any requests before the fight begins, Mr P?"

"Only that you heed my words" Mr Popo broke into a bow, his hands behind his back in a formal manner. "And clear your mind"

Feeling rude, Pan followed suit and bowed in return, nodding at the plump man before moving her feet into a fighting stance. Everything around them seemed to fade away. The audience, the announcer, the sound and the stage. All that remained were two opponents staring one another down, with their calm breathing setting the background noise for the battle. "Mr P?"

She spoke softly in almost a whisper, surprised that Mr Popo could even hear her. "Yes, Pan?" It was a bit intimidating to stare into his eyes, as they didn't move very much. They always seemed to be wide and awake, but rooted to one direction.

"You asked me why I fight, but you never told me why YOU fight" The wind blew softly, creating a small tickling sensation as stray gusts tugged on her raven locks. "You don't ask a question like that if you don't have an answer yourself"

He paused for a moment, his lips curling to a small 'oh' expression as a flash of thought flickered. Before returning to his smile, the answer rolling off his tongue naturally. "For Kami, of course"

Pan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't get it, what does you fighting have to do with Kami? Wasn't he supposed to be the peaceful watcher instead of an action guardian?" Taking a moment to adjust her stance, straightening her back.

"I don't believe words can fully explain it for you" All at once; Pan's arm muscles tensed, the crowd let off one final cheer, the gong was hit and the announcer called for a fight. The match had begun. "But don't worry. I promise that it will be clear by the end of this fight"

* * *

 **In case anyone's wondering, the tidbit about Tao killing Mr Satan's master? I didn't make that up. That's an official part of Hercule's backstory. Apparently while in a bar, Mr Satan and his master made fun of Tao's hair; so Tao murdered the master and left.  
**

 **Next Time: Power isn't everything - Popo The Genie**


	34. Power isn't Everything

**Welp... This was late. Yeah, shit happened. See, a lot of progress on this chapter was made, and then lost, then made, and then lost again. Because my computer is the biggest cunt in the universe, even when I get her a shiny Terabyte Back Up Hard Drive. But.. Here's your chapter for the day.**

* * *

 _Take it slow._ Pan repeated these three words in her head like a mantra, with every punch thrown, every swing of her body, every step, she told herself to remember to hold back for now. This was only the first round, and Mr Popo was an opponent who would benefit from her wearing down her own stamina.

The fight had started off with a rush of power, the Announcer's final call still ringing in her ears as launched herself at her opponent. He stood still, not showing any reaction to her in the few seconds it took for her to cross the distance between them; could Pan could attribute the lack of reaction to her moving too fast for the man to see? She didn't go in for the first punch straight away, instead opting to stop just in front of the man, thinking that maybe the shock wave caused by her speedy landing would send Mr Popo flying.

While it did have the announcer jumping off stage to stop from being blown back, Mr Popo was only forced back a few paces, still waiting for Pan's first move. "You gonna do anything other than stand around any time soon?" She challenged, smirking at him, looking for any hint of taking the bait.

Instead, he simply responded "Are you?"

 _Well, so much for 'Let your opponent throw the first punch'_ She kept that indigent smirk on, pretending she didn't hear that coy comment, throwing her tensed fist forward, towards his chest; starting off with a nice tap. However, her fist only met the plump flesh of his fingers, a hand easily sliding in front of his chest and blocking the blow. "You'll need to be faster than that"

Pan brought her fists up close to her chest, keeping her stance steady and strict. "Just making sure you could keep up, Old Man" She went in for another jab, this time a mean right hook to his cheek, quick and to the point; and yet again she was met with the base of his palm, cushioning the blow, and pushing it back to her. "Hyaa!" Quickly following her attack with another strike, soon launching into a blur of fists all rushing to strike at the man, with his own hands shifting at such a pace that it looked like his skin was smearing an invisible shield black.

For the next two minutes Popo was stuck on the defensive while Pan tried her best to land a solid blow, with his defences no worse for wear. As Pan made a quick leap backward, her frustration building up, she wondered if this was the extent of Popo's fighting style. It certainly was effective if so. You can't beat your opponent if you can't hit them, could you? _Well, maybe if I was on the same level…_ Pan thought to herself, smirking. She could admit that this wasn't the best start for her, and she could tell that Popo wasn't just fast with his hands, he was managing to easily predict the target of each of her punches.

 _But I don't need to get around him blocking, do I?_ With a simple idea in mind, Pan slammed her foot into the floor, lunging back into the fray with much more power behind her punches. "Blocking won't do you much good if my fists are stronger" Why go around a wall when you could just bulldoze through it? If she hit an object hard enough, she created a shockwave on the other side of the object. So, if she implemented more force behind her attacks, even if Mr Popo blocked them, the resulting shockwave would go through his defences and at least disorient him. _I still want to keep some of my power for other fights, can't show the crowd all I got when it's just the beginning; but this wall getting in my way is pissing me off._

But alas, before Pan could even get her hopes up, her fist had reached its destination; only to be pushed to the right side of Popo's head by a well-timed smack. To her credit, the act of her attempting a punch did manage to partly demolish the brick work of the arena behind him. "Thank you for the warning" He made no motion to move, still striking that smile of is. First, it was warm for Pan, but now that it was associated with her failure to perform; it only added to her growing frustrations. "If you had not explained your net attack, I doubt I would have been able to deflect your attack"

Pan found herself gritting her teeth, spinning around on the tip of her toes, this time throwing her leg into the air and hoping the momentum would drive it into the man for her. "You are only creating an opening, Pan" As soon as she felt his fingers brush against her knee, she realised her mistake. This random act of anger easily allowed for Mr Popo to grab a hold of her leg and shoving it to the side, forcing the weight of her left leg to pull her body with it, throwing Pan off her balance and sending her backwards. "And openings are meant to be exploited"

To Pan's credit as a fighter, she didn't allow this to fully screw her over as she was thrown. Instead throwing out her arms and twisting her body through the air, allowing her the small push she needed to right her position up, landing on her feet with her finger tips sliding across the ground. "Let's kick it up a notch!" From the point of view of the audience, Pan seemed to fade from view in a blur of colour, her form only briefly seen as it rushed around Mr Popo to try an attack from the rear.

Another kick sent his way, sailing through the air at speeds the average eye could comprehend, causing the air around the arena to disperse immensely. This time, Mr Popo whole body twitched in anticipation, his feet shuffling an inch to the side; allowing Pan's leg to fall past him. But like a ping pong ball, the resistance of hitting the floor again only made her bounce back; jumping up to come down from above with a harsh chop. It was a close attack, her hand slashing through the air causing an explosion of sound that made many audience member's ears pop; and actually, managed to force her opponent to fully move. Jumping out of the way and into the centre of the arena, leaving Pan to collide with the stage, which also left the stage breaking apart as the impact of her attack shattered the brick work; cracks spreading across the stage.

For a moment she came to a stop, admiring the sweat and strain adorning her muscles, a few cuts and scrapes littering her arms from a few of her manuvers. Mr Popo was giving her a good workout, more than she expected. Looking to the large clock hanging above the archway (Where Kassy sat, with the grin of someone who understood a secret joke) Pan noted that it had only been two minutes since the match started. 10:31? Looks like it was time to end the warm up and launch into the real deal. And so Pan went for her next punch.

They continued in this power dance for a while longer, 10:31 turning into 10:35; Pan using speed to try and out-manuver Mr Popo, only for the man to find a way to side step the attack at the last second. As the fight drew on, Pan's attacks became more and more frantic, more fuelled by her random bursts of frustration at her lack of success in this fight. The less calculated and precise attack gave Mr Popo the edge allowing him to more easily predict, react and avoid the slew of punches as he danced around the edges of the arena. "You are quick to anger, easy to goad. Detrimental traits to a fighter"

Pan then felt a strange shift, nothing visible, not a sound alerting her to anything, just small churning in her sides. Within a blink of an eye she realised that Mr Popo was no longer in front of her, he had vanished. Panic fuelling her, she jumped back and swerved to look around the arena, finding her opponent situated at the centre with his eyes looking skyward. It took a quick glance to confirm that there was nothing distracting above them, so she shrugged; perhaps Mr Popo ate something that didn't agree with him, or stretching his neck. _Here's my chance!_ She pounced on the opportunity to take him by surprise.

She threw more force behind this kick, pushing herself into the air in a burst of energy, increasing her momentum and overall speed as she barrelled towards her target. He still stood oblivious, unblinking. The air scraping past her felt like silk slipping off her skin, it was a freeing and powerful feeling, helping channel her energy into her kick. He didn't blink. The churning feeling came again, calling out in distress; must have been the adrenalin rush as she closed in on Mr Popo. He didn't blink.

She blinked.

"In a crazy turn of events, it looks like we might have our first round end in shame; with one contestant running off the stage in fear!" The Announcer's voice and the collective gasp of the crowd suddenly pooled into Pan's ears, shocking her as if she were a deaf person who could suddenly hear again. "Seems Miss Son is a bit shy after all"

Pan felt her eye lids open slowly, before reeling in shock at the sight of grass painting her vision, her body mere inches away from jumping off the stage. Luckily, the shock of the moment kicked her into 'deer-in-headlights' mode, one leg frozen in place, raised over the edge of the stage. One more step and she'd be out of bounds. "W-What the hell?" Questions flooded her mind. The most prominent, how'd she get over here? She had attacked Mr Popo at the centre of the stage, hadn't she? She knew that, and Mr Popo had been… Craning her neck, she found that Mr Popo was… Back at the other end of the stage, where he'd been before her last attack. "How did you…"

"Are you feeling well?" Her opponent faced her with a knowing smile, his eyes wide with mirth and teasing. "I trust my appearance isn't too intimidating. My opponent trying to escape me in a hurry is new for me"

"Wha- Hey! I was not running scared, alright? I was trying to kick you, then you… Vanished." Could this man have really be so fast that Pan couldn't see him move? Or was it something else? _He's a Genie, not a magician._ Maybe she really did just throw herself so hard that she shot her self from the centre to the other end in record time.

"Are you sure? Those five minutes you spent frozen stiff sure looked fearful to me" His voice was taunting her now.

"Oh, common; now you're just puling things out of your as-" Her tongue fell limp when her eyes reached the large clock, finding that it was not indicating 10:40. But that was impossible, no matter how into the fight she was, there was no way she had taken five minutes to jump into that last kick. Thirty minutes at most. She looked back to Popo, who only grinned at her confusion, which prompted her eyes to narrow.

 _Okay, something's going on here. And it. Is. Bullshit._

* * *

The snow seemed to come down heavier the deeper the two ventured further into the mountains of Jingle Village, luckily Suno had gone back to her house (Not wanting to miss the tournament), leaving just Eighter and Trunks; who weren't bothered that much by the cold. "I'm surprised you're not bothered by all this deep snow" Trunks didn't want to say anything about the android's size, but he did find it odd how unaffected the man was. His body type definitely didn't look like it would react well to tricky terrain. Even Trunks had resorted to floating above the snow after the fifth time he tripped and fell flat on his face.

"I-I know I don't look like that much- General White used to tell me that all the time…" Eighter's feet seemed to reduce all snow in his path to nothing with every stride. "But I was built to gather resources and research in the coldest parts of this mountain"

At this Trunks spoke his next words cautiously "That was when Dr Gero worked here?"

Eighter came to a complete halt, his body visually recoiling at the name drop. "Y-yes… Long before General White entered Muscle Tower and took the mayor hostage" Before he allowed himself to smile for a moment. "That's when Goku came" He looked towards Muscle Tower, where you could just see the tip peeking through the atmosphere. A distant memory. "He was a little boy with a tail. If it wasn't for him…" Eighter sighed, wiping particles of snow off his shoulder. "Well, I wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be here. I might have even been forced to do-" A wince "Terrible things"

"Ah, Son Goku. Yeah, my Mom told me about how he took on the whole Red Ribbon Army by himself. Reduced an entire fortress to rubble" Trunks joined Eighter in taking in the view of Muscle Tower, trying to imagine a tiny Goku storming the place, with only a stick to defend himself.

"Y-you know Son Goku?"

"Know him? I idolised him for half my life, his son was my mentor" The thought of idolising Goku had been an amusing one, getting a chuckle out of Trunks as he thought back to the day he went back in time, when he finally got that chance to meet Goku. It was a rather humbling moment. "He was a great guy" He remembered his trip, all of it. Laying out the tragic tapestry of his life, the hell bestowed upon his world, and begging Goku to stop this future from befalling another time line. And then finding out later how prepared Goku was to simply let it happen for the thrill of the challenge. He still didn't know how to feel about that. "Flawed, but his heart was always in the right place"

Eighter had practically pounced on Trunks, an overpowering grin on his face as he took Trunks's shoulders in a tight grip. "Oh, that's wonderful, I've never had to chance to meet him again after all this time. He doesn't use phones, and-… How is he doing these days!?"

Trunks could have possibly responded better. "He's dead." And less bitterly.

That fact was like a bomb of despair exploding on Eighter's face, his eyebrows crinkling, his jaw hanging agape and his back hunching under the pressure of the news. "Oh…" Was all he could say at first, looking back to Muscle Tower, trying to keep focused on the god memories. "I guess we always assumed it"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring the whole mood down" Trunks stepped forward, unsure of what to do; he'd never really comforted someone before. Usually he was the one that needed someone to cheer him up. Hand on shoulder, maybe?

"H-How did he die?"

The question instantly brought to mind the fate of this timeline's Goku, Bulma telling Trunks that the great Warrior, Son Goku, was taken on his death bed; slowly strangled by a virus no one had ever heard of. No fighting, no struggling, no explosive battle, no dramatic monologues; just a pathetic whimper. "He died…" That wasn't a death fitting of Son Goku. So, Trunks's mind went back to the Son Goku of the other timeline, the image was crisp in Trunks's Mind.

Goku stood before Cell, seconds before the pathetic creature was set to self-destruct, causing an explosion that would take the whole planet with it. And with one wave goodbye, Goku announced his plan to teleport the creature to a place where the explosion couldn't hurt anyone, and then Goku told his son that he wouldn't be able to come back. "He died a hero, sacrificing his life for the good of others; surrounded by his loved ones. And nothing will ever change that"

Eighter nodded, and despite the depressing tale, the Android seemed to find solace in this; staring at the memory of Goku. He smiled, nodding. "Yeah… Seems about right"

"Everyone else died that way. His friends, his rival, his son…" He felt his hand tighten into a fist, his memories of his own time and the other timeline muddling. "They deserved to live happy lives, they deserved better. By Dr Gero took all of that away. He took everything away"

"Dr Gero?" Again, Eighter flinched away at the name, guilt evident in his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Trunks stepped away from Eighter. In the distance he could just make out their destination, the fading outline of a large cabin, barely visible behind the warm light pooling through the windows.

"I just don't like hearing that name. It makes me feel so confused" There was a sigh, the android tugging on the Red Ribbon logo sown into his jacket. "I always hear about all the terrible things he's done, and it makes my head hurt. Why would he do such terrible things?"

Trunks's eyebrows furrowed, finding his body tense up and his fingers curl in unusual soft anger. The snarling response was unintentional. "Because he was a sick, sadistic and evil monster" There wasn't much logic to his anger, or any attempt at rationalising it. His mind simply could not stand the thought of someone honestly questioning otherwise. "And he got everything he deserved in the end"

"That's what confuses me…" Eighter seemed slightly taken aback at Trunks's random outburst, but still continued. "He always seemed fine to me. I mean, he was grumpy a lot and yelled; b-but I could never see him trying to kill so many people" The way Eighter emphasised 'kill' made it sound like a forbidden word. "I'm sorry, is this upsetting you?"

Trunks fell silent with a stoic look (One he knew his mother would say made him look just like his father), before sighing, floating past Eighter. "I can see the house from here, Eighter… You can go back now" Eighter didn't attempt to argue, simply nodding and turning back, while Trunks rubbed his fingers over his temples. "That was… Rude… Mom taught me better" Trunks thought he had better control of his emotions than this, but maybe he was more like his father than he thought. "I'll go back and apologise to him after this"

Looking back at the door, he decided to put that thought to the back of his mind, trying to psyche himself up for this. This meeting could easily be pointless or calm his nerves, but if this Flappe guy is working with Gero… Trunks hoped he could keep his emotions in check.

* * *

Once again, Pan found herself dangling closer to the edge of a ring out, sweat dripping from her brow and frustration pulling at her fists like gravity. Whatever Mr Popo as doing, she was finding a hard way to get around. Every time she thought she had a clear opening to get a punch in, she'd charge in to take advantage, and then before she could even blink she'd find herself running into a danger zone.

The echoing thuds of footsteps alerted her to her rushing opponent closing in on her position. A quick glance was all she needed to confirm how close Mr Popo was, and with this strange technique he was employing, she doubted she could just simply run away. She just needed to be pushed an inch to be disqualified and even she could understand that despite her power, tipping her balance to make her fall that extra inch would be a simple matter. Time for some improvisation.

Her mind scattered, picking up on the first useful sounding words she could find. Energy. Energy building up can cause damage and pushback. Pushback can provide movement. Movement with momentum. Power. Power gave energy, power would save her here. In the span of a few seconds, Pan summoned blue spheres of energy within her palm, power fluctuating around her. Pan flipped her palm so that the ball now faced the ground and without hesitation slammed it down, a small blast around Pan's body quickly following.

The power from the blast easily launched her body forward at an alarming rate, sending Pan into a mid-air spin for to see. The surprise and suddenness of it all restricted Mr Popo from continuing with his attempt to push Pan off the stage, allowing Pan's spinning body to flip up high, leaving behind a trail of smoke. While in the air, Pan had used her hand to redirect the remaining energy from the blast and slide it onto her foot like passing a ball.

Soon, the girl ended up above Mr Popo with her entire body upside down, a trail of blue energy following her foot. She didn't exactly know what she was doing, she was simply doing what her instincts said felt good, like silent instructions from her muscles. The blue hue of her attack began to envelop her foot as she continued to spin in the air, almost like a glowing pin wheel, a pin wheel that could wreck landscapes with it's speed.

And in the span of a second the pin wheel dropped, the energy coated foot slamming down on the stage with an ear shattering KABOOM. The effect was instantaneous, the stage itself ripped to shreds, the grass surrounding them torn from the ground and split apart. By the time everything stopped shaking, the arena looked like a warzone that had just had a bomb dropped on it.

Mr Popo had disappeared again, but not without a few bruises. "You're over there again!" Pan exclaimed with a growl, her head snapping towards the other end of the arena, where Mr Popo knelt down; looking a little winded. His turban had been knocked off during the fight, allowing Pan to make out the sweat glistening on his bald head.

"Where did you learn that from?" He breathed out his question through a few short gasps, struggling to get to his feet. The shockwave of her attack must have hit him this time.

"That?" Pan took a moment to realise exactly what she had down, the explosion bouncing her upwards, the spin, and the energy forming around her foot. "Huh. I didn't… I didn't learn it from anyone, I was just improvising" She shrugged.

This earned a chuckle from Mr Popo, back to standing at full height as he let out that warm smile. "Kami always said that fighters were proficient in pulling their trump cars from thin air, on the spot"

"Wouldn't call it a trump card" Pan rolled back her shoulder, taking this moment of breathing to get a few satisfying cracks in. "You're still standing, and you've still got the advantage in this match. Even if I don't know what it is…" She dropped back into a fighting stance, spreading her legs firm and pulling her hands together at her side in a pose all too familiar to both Popo and her family watching from the stands. "But, lucky me, you seem a bit tuckered out. Might find it hard to get out of the way of this one!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Despite his battered state, the man still looked confident as he shifted to a more defensive position. "I'll take this one head on then, if you don't mind"

"You're not gonna try and dodge? I mean, I'm sure of it. Your defensive style ain't gonna mean anything here. But you could at least try to run away..."

"You're mistaken, my style is not my own" He put his hands together, looking up for a moment, as if looking for someone. "In this style is the fingerprints of every guardian that's ever watched over Kami's Look out." His expression hardened. "It would be disrespectful to throw away what remains of their achievements simply to save a few bruises. If you knock me off the stage because of this, then so be it."

"Have it your way... I'll admit, you've been on the defensive this whole match and it's been working out great for ya. You're good at it. But even you won't be able to block this" This was her chance, he was confident, sure of himself; if she could continue to goad him into taking the blast, he was finished. Her true trump card was her power, she just needed to unleash it at the right angle.

Recognizing the familiar position, Mr Popo grinned. "You're trying to replicate the Kamehameha wave, aren't you?" The air began to swerve around Pan, embracing her as if she had a gravitational pull that picked up the shattered pieces of the stage, she was just powering up. "Was this taught to you? Or is this more improvisation?"

With a grunt, Pan admitted "It's my first time using it, actually" By now her power and energy sunk into her aura, creating a visible blue hue around her. "But I practically slept in the old tapes of my Grandfather's best matches, I've seen my father use it too. And from I can tell, all you need to learn the technique is to watch it once"

She heard a loud grumble from Master Roshi, calling from the side-lines. "Hey! Just because all of my students happened to be prodigies, doesn't mean you can just treat the Kamehameha so lightly. It took me fifty years to develop it!"

Which was swiftly followed by Chichi grabbing his ear "Don't distract her!"

Mr Popo dropped, his knees bending into a squatting position, with his shoulders tensing up and his face looking absolute. Pan followed suit, pooling her energy into the space between her hands, her mind repeating the videos she watched of Goku in her head. His stance, his stare, his yelling. She mimicked, imaging herself as a mirror reflection.

" **Kaaaame** -" The words escaped her mouth, they felt so natural to say, to call, to yell; they felt powerful on their own. But the blue glow emitting from her palms was also pretty good. "- **Haaaaame** -" The glow built up in pressure and intensity, it was like trying to push two opposing magnets together, but the force increased by a hundred. It caused an itch, an almost unbearable itch that irritated her whole body. It begged for release, the build-up was too long. "- **Haaame** -" The ball was large now, sparkling with power, and dear god did that pulsating effect of it every few seconds fill Pan with satisfactory glee.

The crowd held their breath. The Announcer piped up with plenty of adjectives to add to the amazement (Personally, seeing that technique again after such a long time almost made him weep with nostalgia. Oh, how he missed this job). Mr Popo stood still, determined to be a wall.

And Pan scratched that itch. "- **HAAAAAAAA**!"


	35. Under Pressure - The Genie's Trickery

Hearts pounded so hard the extra blood would make the audience feel dizzy, their breaths held in place by the sheer force of anticipation as they witnessed that heavenly shade of blue spin in the young girl's palms. The light was like a wild animal, itching to get out of its cage and let its primal instincts explode. And when the final call of passion and fury was ripped from Pan's lips, when she pushed out her hands and uncurled her fingers, when she let that wild energy beast free; the Kamehameha was unleashed.

There was no question of its versatility or power. The size the beam expanded into when it exploded from Pan's hands, the rippling effect on the stage as the force of the energy tore the stone from the ground, the primal roar that accompanied it as it streaked across the stadium; it all managed to make Mr Popo look worried in the quick moment he had to think.

Videl and Chichi were locked in a competition of who could cheer the loudest at the sight, while Master Roshi stood stone still with his lips puckered in thought. On one hand, it was a powerful sight to behold, certainly a blast that would pack quite the punch. On the other hand, this was yet another example of how the technique that took him 50 years to develop, had been reduced to being so simple to use. He had a right to be grumpy, damn it!

Kassy was by far the most excited spectator, clapping to herself as her eyes went directly to stare down at Pan, having a good bird's eye view of the battle. You'd think by the 50th time you've seen a fight, it'd be so boring, you've seen 'em all and they're all the same; but sometimes you just can't help but get hooked on that beautiful schadenfreude. _Making me feel glad that I'm not you, hehe. I know I wouldn't react so well after putting in all that effort._

From Pan's perspective? She was coping. The moment that attack escaped her hand, it was like a mountain of frustration, a horde of weights and build up, all were suddenly liberated from her body in one hell of a push. It sounded creepy in her head, but it was almost orgasmic. A flood of relief and ecstasy dripping down her spine, curling her lips into a smile of pure satisfaction.

 _Oh, what the hell? I'm greedy_ She giggled to herself, giving off another explosion of sound in the form of a 'HAAAAA' roar, reaching deep within herself to find any remaining energy she could spare. That energy being there was fine, calming even; but feeling that power trickle on the tis of her fingers before rushing out to deal damage…. Was this the part where she should start lighting up a cigarette to take it all in?

Maybe it was just her ego, maybe it was just her Saiyan side kicking in, but she felt like her body was in another world. This brief moment of power was like an intoxicating aroma, pooling through her nose, gripping her lungs in a vice and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Images, she loved the images. She could just imagine the stage itself, defenceless stone skin crumbling to dust at just being near the blast.

Maybe the weak audience members were knocked down to their knees by the resulting shockwave. Their knees would shake at the pain, while her entire body trembled at the pleasure of that pain. Were a few bones broken? In her mind the echoes of snapping limbs made her shiver, made her smile wider, made her want to push one. Maybe if she broke one of Mr Popo's leg he wouldn't be able to keep dodging her? Was he hurting bad from this blast?

Now that thought about it, she noticed that there was a strange feeling that sparked to life as soon as the blue glow of the attack had enveloped Mr Popo. It wasn't like anything was blocking or resisting the force of the beam, but neither did it feel like she was hitting anything, and yet she could tell by the thin sliver of black that poked through the blue; she was hitting Mr Popo, dead on.

And yet the Kamehameha was still moving.

It took only a few more second for her energy reserves to tap out, she'd need time to recharge before firing off any more energy-based attacks. The effect of unleashing all that energy immediately took effect as the blast began to dissipate before her eyes, a burning sensation tingling on her palm; she probably over-did it for her first Kamehameha. She twisted her head to try and get a better look at how Mr Popo was dealing with this, raring to see some bruises, blood, anything that indicated damage through the blue veil.

But all she could see was a perfectly healthy, though winded, Mr Popo, his jaw unhinged and slacking under a wide-open mouth. He was quite literally eating Pan's attack, the Kamehameha swirling straight into his open mouth and down his throat, a visible bulge on his stomach where the attack ended it's journey.

"Wha- Fa- You-… BULLSHIT! I call foul! No way, just no way" Pan gritted her teeth together, clenching her fist tighter as her anger bubbled to the surface. "I did all that, made such a flashy fuss, put in all that build up, FOR THIS!?" The worst of it was how dry and abruptly it ended the climax of all the good feelings she was just having.

In time, what Pan had once thought was gonna be her finishing move for this fight, dissipated with a disappointing puff. Mr Popo seemed rather jolly at this, rubbing his stomach, satisfied. "Ooof, I must say. I'm stuffed" Before letting out a monstrous belch, smoke briefly exploding from his lungs. "Oh dear, that just wasn't polite" At Pan's glare he merely chuckled "I apologise. Do you need a moment? You seem quite mad"

Pan opened her lips to respond, but merely found herself crashing her mouth shut when she realised any words that come to mind would only make her look more like a brat. "Not at all, Mr P" She took in clean air, pumping her lungs with something calm before raising her fist up, trying to get back into a fighting stance. Her hands were shaking with adrenalin, with lust for some progressive damage. "I'm just surprised. I came here expecting a stomp"

"You seem to be making a habit of underestimating me. Did your mother never tell you to never try and win against a Genie with brawn?" The smirk curled, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "They are the ultimate tricksters after all"

"Well, I'm su-" She had a witty remark ready, one filled with cockiness and arrogance to stall her time until she regained her energy; but then Mr Popo's words hit her, an idea immediately popping into her head. She had a solution. "Tricksters?"

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to re-evaluate your approach to combat from the side-lines, Pan. But now, I think this fight has gone on long enough"

In the heat of the moment, it was hard for her to determine if her opponent would be able to force her out of the ring in her current state. _This was his plan from the start, wasn't it? He knows how much damage I'll deal, so he spends the match playing keep away, goading me into wasting my own stamina to the point that he can push me out without much resistance._ One part of her brain registered this as a failure on her part, bemoaning her for falling for such a ploy so easily. That part had a point. "Genies are the ultimate tricksters, huh? It feels so obvious now…"

But within the reveal of her folly, Pan also found the something to latch onto, that idea ticking in her mind; a ledge to grab onto and rebuild her confidence on. "You have a point there, Mr P. The fight's out stayed its welcome. So, I'll just have to finish it soon" Mr Popo's eyes seemed to narrow an inch, completely surprised at the return of her cocky grin and tone. "Looks like I'm not the only one who got a bit too cocky, because your arrogance just gave me a way to win" He was planning on her stamina being too low to put out an attack that could hit him, and if what she thought was right, he would have a way to counter a frontal attack with ease. He expected much from her.

"Oh?"

"You told me to focus, and that's what I'm gonna do" She held one hand out, these precious few seconds stalling Mr Popo allowing her to gain back some of her energy. "And right now? I'm focusing on the fact that you've told me exactly where you are…" One energy blast was all she threw his way, the confusion of why she would throw such a thing was very visible. As it shot towards him, Mr Popo could tell it was a rather weak one, even he just needed to simply bat it away with the back of his hand.

For a moment, he allowed himself to think it was just one last act of desperation from a foe who couldn't accept their defeat. But as soon as the energy blast was out of the way, Mr Popo realised his mistake as he saw that Pan was gone. And the voice that tickled his ears confirmed that she was now behind him. "And when I say that, I mean the REAL you" She was more resourceful than he thought, her voice practically dripping with satisfaction as she brought her knee forward, getting her first real hit on the back of Mr Popo's head.

And she made sure it hurt like hell.

* * *

The inside of Flappe's house was much more spacious than Trunks was expecting, he only now could see the house was more of a large log cabin, a fire roaring off to the side under a hanging television, the welcoming warmth licking at his frozen limbs. On the way here, many images had popped into Trunks head, of steel walls cutting off every chance of air, low ceilings forcing visitors to hunch and lab equipment littering the floor in preparation for the next twisted experiment. Average mad scientist stuff. Sort of like his mother's lab. But this glow, this overwhelming warmth, the open hallway, the shelf filled to the brim with worn books; it looked so… Cozy.

"Can't you people ever just knock anymore?" The old man sat in front of the fire, hunched over in his wooden arm chair, his voice tired. "Just barging in like you own the place. Who do you think you- Oh, close the door, you're letting snow get all over my carpet!"

"Oh, sorry" Trunks grumbled out, caught off guard by the rather aggressive welcome. Well, he did just barge in.

The man reached down to grasp the cane that was lying beside his chair, gripping the rough chunk of wood and pressing it against the floor; it was definitely a struggle. A rather pathetic sight as the man's bones and mind fought against one another to push the other down, the mere act of getting up causing his entire body to shake. "Those hacks who make up the heating bill are not getting a zeni more than they deser-" He came to his full height, his back hunched over and his weary eyes now trained on Trunks, a flicker of shock registering on his face. "Y-you! You're… You're…" His eyes darted towards the visible hilt hanging over Trunks's shoulder. "The swordsman…"

"We've met?" Trunks quirked an eyebrow, his mind still trying to decide if this was a good or bad sign.

"Not met, no. But I have seen you" Flappe began to back away, as if Trunks had taken the form of some sort of monster. "I was there, the day you killed that Cell monstrosity; your anger shook the whole town"

Trunks's eyes narrowed, muscles tensed, a step taken forward. That day, he remembered clearly, that day he tied up the last loose end of Gero's creations; 'it was finally over' he had thought. How naïve that thought seemed now. It was never over. "How do you know that name?" To be fair, Trunks had screamed out Cell's name many times during that encounter, but Flappe didn't seem keen to point that out.

"Why are you here!?" Flappe's question came out rushed through shaken breath, his fingers gripping his cane for dear life, back pressed against the wall for support. "This is m-my home, you can't be here!" The man was in shambles. The roar of the fire casted a fleeting shadow over Trunks, paining half of his face in darkness as he stood tall and imposing above the crumbling old man. From an outsider's perspective it was almost sinister. "Leave! I don't want you here! Please, I'm begging!"

"Not gonna happen" Trunks spat bluntly, aggression growing stronger like the flickering fire. _What's gotten into me today?_ Trunks reasoned that he was just a bit on edge, the stress of the week, the hallucinations, the training, almost impaling himself on his own sword… He was just generally annoyed today at everything. Was this what Vegeta constantly felt like? "I need answers, leads, clues; anything that can reveal that I'm just a paranoid bastard"

"But I have nothing to give you! I'm just a sad old man living in the middle of the mountains, I barely even leave my cabin to go down to the village; I don't know anything, and I don't want to know anything" In a lacklustre sing of defiance, Flappe held up the cane towards the half-Saiyan's chest

Trunks simply moved forward, the cane pressing harmlessly against his chest to show off how empty to threatening gesture was. "You worked closely with Dr Gero on the creation of the Androids; is that true or false?"

"That name, that blasted name" Flappe took to hissing, a hand reaching up to clutch his chest, straining his lungs. "I've spent twenty years hiding from that shame, that name, that man; why must you bring him back into my house?" His tone was like an emotional tennis match, the ball being hit between the two opponents: pleading and bitterness. "Android 20's purpose ended with the creation of Cell, that was the last trace of him, which you have taken care of. Gero is dead and buries. 20 is dismantled by the hands of his own creations. And every molecule of that absorption creature has been erased by that… Super Saiyan form of yours"

"How did you-"

"I've had nothing but opportunity to learn about your 'people', so remarkable; such a shame every research note was stained in the blood of 20's victims" Finally, that tennis match seemed to find it's winner, his shoulders slumping in defeat as any more pleading dissolved. "Yes… I worked side-by-side with Gero. We were like-minded friends since our school days, such a 'happy' coincidence we both ended up under the thumb of the Red Ribbon Army" He gave in to his bitterness, hobbling back over to his chair and sitting into a slump, the fire seemingly the only thing he could focus on. "He's returned, hasn't he? Of course, he has, that Android duplicate was a being forged only from hate and obsession; it won't die until it takes everything else with it"

"Nothing concrete…" Trunks allowed his tone to fall to a much softer scale as he came to stand beside the man, his emotions confused. "But I swear I've seen Android 13 up and walking round, and I know that he was an Android left inactive along with two others"

Flappe ran his fingers over his face, groaning. "Oh, Tucker"

"Tucker?"

"Gero based all of his Androids on something, someone. 13 is based on a friend of his son, Lt. Tucker. In life, he served beside Gero's son in service to the Red Ribbon Army" He leaned back, contemplating. "Disciplined and loyal, died crashing a plane into an enemy war machine, if I recall correctly. He lived up in Tunson, his wife garnered a reputation for spicy food; I think his granddaughter is still there selling Dinosaur Meat"

"He was like 16, a mechanical recreation?" Trunks turned to lean against the opposing wall, his face growing hard as he started down his list of questions. "How involved with the Androids were you?"

There was hesitation, contemplation, self-doubt and guilt; all fighting for control of his shaking voice. "Let me just say right off the bat that… That I didn't… The Twins, those orphans; I didn't help kidnap them or experiment on them. I worked alongside Gero on for the first eight androids, Eighter was the last one before I 'retired'… Well, mostly…" He sighed again. "Maybe I should start from the beginning. Know thy enemy, and all that"

"You'll really tell me everything? Why?"

"Maybe it's you 'persuasive' presence-" He gestured to the bulging muscles and gleaming sword. "-Maybe I've finally caved in under all this pressure I've been carrying all these years. No doubt my back's felt it." He looked back to the fire, it all came back to him with ease, the images, the confusion, the guilt. "I've been running and hiding from what we did for years, all the blood I'm responsible for, and I suppose someone has to know the true story. Yes, I will tell you. But it won't matter…"

"Everything is ending already, starting with Earth"

* * *

"Trickster, trickster, trickster" Pan had fully regained her ego-fuelled strut as she watched Mr Popo struggle back to his feet, his landing causing a few visible scuffs and bruises to appear at last. "Now that I realise what's been going on, I feel like such a fool" Her foot moved swiftly, driving into the man's stomach and sending him back to the ground. She couldn't give him the chance. "That's all this has been, right? Tricks. I thought you were a Genie, not a magician. Conjuring up all those illusions"

She had thought the fight had been suspicious since the start. The man's surprising agility, the strange way the world seemed to be stuck in a jump cut every time she attacked, how time seemed to move faster than she thought, the edge of the stage coming out of nowhere… It wasn't that Mr Popo was extremely quick, he was just messing with her head. That's why the audience saw her standing around for five minutes before darting to the other end of the stage when she thought she had immediately pursued him after thirty seconds; this illusion bullshit was messing with her perception of time.

All it took was him to practically tell her that he was more a trickster than a fighter for those instances to finally connect in her mind. "That's why that other fighter back in the preliminaries was acting so weird. You were tricking him in the same way" She went in for another hit, but she immediately found her foot going through an image of Mr Popo. _Does that mean he's getting weaker? I punched him hard._

"It took you this long to figure it out then?" The mocking tone had no source, instead seemingly a disembodied voice that floated around her. In response, Pan quickly jumped backwards, thinking back to the distance she had covered from the middle of the stage after hitting Mr Popo the first time. There she'd at least be able to trust that she was as far away from the edge as she could get at the moment. "I suppose that means the time for subtlety is over…"

Pan quickly withdrew breath, keeping her mouth shut and letting her mind talk. It was time to do some critical thinking, something something method, whatever her Dad used to talk about when she was 3 and he was trying to get her into science early. First things first, what did she know about Mr Popo's abilities? Aside from the energy eating, he was an illusionist. Attributes of the illusions? So far, sight and hearing are the only things affected by the illusions. Doesn't affect touch, none of these illusions were physical, judging by how any attack would go right through them. Limitations? Her hunch was that the ability required complete concentration, that's why his Kamehameha eating mistake showed her exactly where he was, as well as why he wasn't quick to attack while she was still in the illusion. Perhaps he could multitask if he concentrated hard enough…

"You asked me why I fight, and I hope you too have found the answer in this fight. Kami was a guardian of the Earth, his duty was to defend. To defend the innocent, the weak and the planet itself." Around her the world began to shift in more obvious way, the audience could no longer be seen, everything around the stage twisting into a light blue void, while the arena itself contorted and tore apart. Even though she knew it was all an illusion, the image managed to cause unease in Pan's stomach. "Kami was a great man, but sadly one that had grown frail in body under the pressure of his duties. Sometimes you need an outside source to defend, in that he sought the use of magic, that allowed him to defend and train those whose body and mind were equally strong"

Pan was out of the frying Pan and into the fryer, with this new overpowering image she was stuck to this spot. One rash move, and she'd lose any sense of where she was on the arena, her feet were the only things telling her where she was, for her eyes and ears would only betray her. "You are facing the fighting style of the Earth's Guardian. It is not my own style, it is not my technique, but it is my duty as his attendant" The tone grew soft, but undercut by a power and righteous edge. "His body died. I failed him. But I will not abandon him, for even in death I will make sure he lives on; I fight to keep Kami, his sprit, his training, his legacy alive through his own style in combat!"

In a blink of an eye, Pan only now found herself noticing the multiplying silhouettes surrounding her spot, soon contorting to take on a more human-esc form. Bbig red lips, wide eyes, large belly and all struck with the same look of unyielding determination. An army of Mr Popos. She and the Popos shared a grin, as if a private joke or understanding was made between them. "Then you better show me what Kami's got, and go all out!"

She hoped more than ever now that her 'non-physical illusion' theory held water s the army marched upon her from all sides, closing in on her with ease with many Popos scrambling over each other to get a shot at her. _Ain't I popular today…_ Her vision was soon painted in nothing but a whirlwind of black and red, a flood of furious fists pounding at every space available, her every sense hounding at her.

As she hoped, the illusions could not hurt her, even then the mere sight of every punch made her flinch. But that wasn't their purpose, they were a distraction something to disorientate her. No matter what she still had to pull up her arms, chuck her body every-which-way and doing everything in her power to keep her feet rooted. She had a sneaking suspicion that the real Popo was here somewhere, waiting to briefly let his concentration slip and get a punch in. Every fake punch had a chance of concealing the real punch.

BAM

Right in the gut, a blind spot in this mess of furious dancing, managing to wind her for a brief second. It pushed her back an inch, but it didn't stop her from keeping up her guard. She needed a plan, quick and fast, she couldn't just stay tanking and hope to outlast Mr Popo. He wasn't trying to do damage, he was trying to push her away. _Maybe I can track the source of- ARG!_ That punch was straight to the knee this time, trying to shake her off balance.

She attempted to look for the source of the punch, maybe tank the real hit and catch a glimpse of sort of trail. Nope. The fake punches acted as a thick fog the real fist easily sank into after delivering a blow. Her eyes were no help, while the illusions were still strong her sight would bring her nothing but grief and nausea. What she needed to do was find a way to focus.

Focus.

Another tip Mr Popo had given her before the fight, focus. Did he mean it like keeping an eye on him, so the illusions wouldn't trick her? Nah, that boat already sailed, and Mr Popo already seemed quite capable of masking himself in these illusions. She needed to focus, but on what? Her eyes couldn't help her, not what she sees. Her ears betray her, she can't focus on sound. She couldn't focus on Mr Popo, the announcer, the audience nothing around her would allow her to focus. All except… herself.

She had to focus on herself. _What did Trunks say during training about ki? Like using all of your senses without using your body…_ See herself without sight, hear herself without sound, feel herself without touch. She needed to let go and trust her own energy and body to guide her. "Right…" Another punch came, another inch was given, but she had to keep calm. She closed her eyes, tuned out her ears, ignored her wiggling toes; completely locked herself away from the outside world.

It wasn't that she could see, it was that she could only see darkness. It wasn't that she couldn't hear, it was that she only heard what she wanted to hear. No more punches were felt, no more images jumped out and surprised her, no more distorted sounds in her ears. She was in the dark room, all she needed to do was bring in the light.

There was something out there, somehow, she knew it. A spark, it left a trail, it moved slowly and independently of everything else. Her own energy flowed around her, the ethereal feeling came when she realised that she'd launched an energy attack outward, probably out of her hands; was she not blocking anymore?

As she continued to watch her energy, the stray attack flew across the room, along the way acting as a source of light that punctured the soft texture of the darkness, revealing inklings of the tournament arena before fizzling out. _I only have to light the way_ More energy disconnected from her without her knowledge, spreading out around her, lighting up different parts of the stadium, the REAL parts.

And there it was. The trail.

It looked more like a swarm of fireflies instead of her usual energy blast, these fireflies working together to form a general outline of a man. A man with a rather large belly. A man who wasn't an illusion. A man who was currently circling her. Energy, she could find his energy, like a beacon through a fog of delusion.

Mr Popo came in for another punch, his confidence rising as he witnessed Pan shut off her senses, she'd be out of the ring in no time if he kept this up. So, for the next punch he pulled back his arm, really putting his back into it this time and throwing his full force forward, aiming for her face this time; but instead of Pan's face, his fist instead was stopped rather abruptly by the steel wall that was Pan's palm.

He only had a short moment to register the strength of her iron grip crushing down on his fingers, the final words from Pan's lips "Time to end this!" and prepare himself for the finishing blow. When Pan opened her eyes she could only see an empty space, and yet she held something in her palm, something which allowed her wind up her shoulder and deliver a strong right hook to the air, shattering the illusion into a million little pieces with a mighty WAM.

And it was over.

Mr Popo was sent flying over the side of the ring, landing on out-of-bounds area with a large lump growing on his forehead. The chorus of cheers from the crowd was almost deafening, and certainly came as a shock after the false noise Pan had been hearing the whole time. "There you have it, ladies and gentleman! With a win pulled from the edge of defeat, a match that I sure hope had you all on the edge of your seats; I'm proud to confirm that our winner for the first match of the World Tournament is… SOOOOON PAAAAAAAN!"

She could hear the voices of Videl and Chichi overpowering all other sounds from behind her, causing her to giggle as she realized that she couldn't tell the difference between either voice at this volume. "THAT'S MY BABY!"

"No, THAT'S MY LITTLE GIRL!"

It took a minute for Pan to take it all in, waving at the audience in a rather shy manner; she'd never had this many people cheer for her before. It was nice. Refreshing. It gave her that power that made her feel like she could take on the world. And maybe she would someday, but right now, her bones were aching from all that wasted energy.

But first she made her way over to where Mr Popo had landed, the man now pulling himself into a sitting position, his head and shoulders slumped as he took in deep breaths. "That was a truly… A good match. My heart is, how could I describe it, rocking like the dragon?"

She grinned down at him, offering her hand. "Yeah. I pegged you as something simply in my way, but you really managed to kick my ass out there. I almost thought I wouldn't be able to win for a second there" They both shared a laugh with each other, Mr Popo taking her hand and hoisting himself to his feet. When their hands separated, Pan took this opportunity to throw her weight forward, offering Mr Popo a respectful bow. "Thank you, Mr Popo"

"You're thanking me?" He seemed quite amused by this.

"Kami's techniques were truly impressive. It was an honour to see them in action up-close, you did Kami a service" Her voice almost sounded calm and sage-like, but that didn't last long as her usual grin broke onto her face, childish and mischievous.

"Thank you, Pan. You were a more than worthy opponent" For a moment, Mr Popo looked nervous, awkwardly chuckling. "I hope I did not come off as rude, I was under the impression that some degree of mocking was traditional in competitions"

"No problem, I got a few of my jabs in there too" The two laughed again, probably being the most relaxing way for them to breathe their fatigue and stress in and out. "And Mr Popo?"

"Yes?"

"I've only known you for a short time, but I'm happy we met both in and out of the ring. You've shown me some things I need to think about, and I don't like thinking a lot; you talked about how much shame you felt about your 'failures' earlier… And yet you never let that jolly aura drop. I think now I see why" She held out her hand, clasping it over his for a handshake, making a vow; a promise. "I still don't know exactly why I fight. I like fighting, I come from a legacy of fighters, but… I know there's something more. But, I will find that reason, and when I do I'll keep in close and cherish it like you do"

He smiled a simple smile. His smile was all she needed "Good luck, Son Pan. I hope you find peace"

* * *

 **And scene. Damn, this chapter changed a lot during the writing phase. Especially with how the fight ended, originally I planned something more flashy, but I felt that Pan 'seeing herself' was a much more simple, but effective approach that added more meaning to her win. Hell, in the original, original version of this match Mr Popo and Pan left on much less happy terms. Where Mr Popo would forfeit the match, but in a way that makes it clear that he would have won if he didn't, pissing Pan off plenty because she see's that as humiliation as well as showing her how narrow her mindset towards the match was.**

 **But in my mind, I realized that I kind of already put forth that layer of Pan's character in the beginning of the match, as well as her little vision with Kassy and thought that it would be better to give Pan's better side a chance to shine before the shit hits the fan. Do you guys think the match is better as it is, or would be better with Pan basically getting a humiliated win?**

 **Also, I hope people caught the tidbit about 13, revealing that all that there was a good reason for that familiarity he was getting when he went to Tunson. And that the woman selling Dinosaur Meat in Tunson was his Grand Daughter.**


	36. Sage Words of the Pervy Master

**I was surprised at the good response to the last chapter, but none the less I am happy. I hope you all understand how much I enjoy reading through feedback, no matter how small in length. Some of you already know my habit of PMing for more details so I squeeze all good and bad points out of you before the day is done.**

 **I'll try to add more author notes at the ends of my chapters in an attempt to be more open and informed with my readers... Plus, I do enjoy a reason to ramble about the reasoning behind my chapters.**

* * *

"You were amazing, Pan"

"I mean, I knew you were going to win from the start; your mother on the other hand…"

"Oh, lay off it, you old hag! I'd like to congratulate my daughter without the sag butting in"

"Sag? Of course, you'd say something so immature-"

Once more the two widows locked horns like bulls, verbally pushing against one another as Pan simply stood in the middle of it all, feeling very small and embarrassed amidst it all. They all stood in the mostly empty courtyard of the Tournament grounds, an area that participants could relax and rest while waiting for their next fight. The audience, on the other hand, were not supposed to be here.

Pan did not doubt that any security the tournament could offer would be able to stand against her mother and grandmother, looking around she could see Mr Popo having a sit down against a rock, his eyes closed. "Never seen Chichi this active since she wailed on Goku, hehehe"

Turning her head to the side, Pan was surprised to find that Master Roshi standing beside her, looking on in amusement at the two arguing women. She hadn't seen him approach, but now that he was here, she instantly felt nervous. Again, that feeling of meeting a celebrity you like and being enveloped by a wave of tied tongues and stutters. She tried to go along with the conversation, quietly spitting out "Why do they have to fight so much?"

"You know, back in the day she would have loved Videl to pieces. Perfect gal for Gohan" She stayed silent, listening to Roshi's musings with hesitant confusion. "I guess at the end of it all, she only had him left. Her little boy, keep him close and away from harm; or be a failure who betrayed his trust" He tapped his wooden cane against the ground, like the soft rhythm of thumps helped him think. "I wouldn't blame 'em too much, I think Chichi just wanted to make sure Videl doesn't make the same 'mistake' as her"

"By insulting her"

"By hammering it in" The old man slammed his fist into his palm for effect, sharing a small grin. "Never said it was a legitimate strategy, but Chichi's always been such… Driven woman. Hehehe"

She coughed into her hand, feeling awkward as she attempted to keep the conversation going. "My mom could still stop egging her on…"

"Chichi's poking a very sensitive area" He stopped for a moment, considering if he should continue before nodding to himself. "Do you know about your Grandparents? Your other Grandparents"

At this Pan's smile grew "You mean Mr Satan? Hercule Satan, the Champ?"

"He was quite the character, I heard. Never got to meet the man myself, but I knew his Master; the Master of the Satan's Castle Dojo. I remember Hercule's wife, my oh my, was she fin- I mean, a very nice lady. Though, I guess when compared to people like you and Trunks they're not much" He and Pan moved away from the arguing dup, Mr Popo opening one eye to watch them as they passed. "A lot of heart. A lot of ego" He tapped his cane against Pan's shoulder, chuckling. "Maybe that's where you get it all from"

"What does this have to do with my Mom being sensitive?"

Roshi's expression grew dim. "Her father left to defeat the man who murdered his Master so long ago. Her mother left to a fight a criminal stole her Daughter's favourite toy. Her husband left to defeat the monsters that took everything from him" He clapped a hand on Pan's shoulder. "All of them left, never to come back; leaving little Videl alone with a small child crying for her missing family. Maybe after losing so much, she grew attached to being a mother, so much so she over compensates. Constantly thinking she's a failure"

Pan nodded, looking back over to her family, their snaps at each other routine at this point. Almost rehearsed, prepared. "Like Grandma Chichi?"

"In a way, I guess you could say they depend on each other for support. They think themselves failures, so they find victory in beating each other" Roshi's body fell stiff, like that large purple turtle shell suddenly gained more pounds than he could carry. "In these dire times… I guess we all know what it's like to feel we've become failures. That there is more that we should have done. But it also shows us the value in not standing alone"

"Even you?"

At this Roshi attempted a wryly smile, chuckling. "I live on a small island in the middle of the ocean. Once I had the company of three rowdy people… Now, I… I only have my magazines for company" Pan kept her gaze ahead, moment like this were not her area of expertise. She punched things, talking and personal stuff? That was just awkward. "But when you're over 300 years old, you find that you're used to it!" He laughed louder, seemingly more trying to convince himself that it was a joke. "Though, I will admit, I did cherish the day Trunks arrived at my door step for advice. The house felt warmer cooking for more than one person"

"I'm sure you've got family to visit, right?"

"My sister would never leave her palace, even if it was collapsing around her"

"What about Jackie Chun? He was a relative of yours, wasn't he? And you both were on good terms, right?" She was trying to be nice and comforting, but the look on Roshi's face told her she was doing a bad job. "Speaking of him, I'm surprised he didn't show up for the tournament; woul have been great to see him in action up close"

"Jackie Chun is dead." It was blunt, told straight and now Roshi seemed to more easily resemble that skinny old man. "Dead and buried, along with the Z Warriors. He died beside them, crushed under the Androids boot-heel"

"I've never been to Kame House" Pan clapped her hands together, a happy thought hitting her on the head like a baseball as she desperatly foguht to keep Roshi smiling somehow. "I'd love to go there some time. Oooo, maybe after I win this tournament we can head over there to celebrate. We could get Grandma to cook and everything"

He stood 'stoically', stroking his beard in deep thought, a myriad of emotions flashing across his face; then a small amount of blood trickles from his nose. "Three saucy ladies keeping me company? Oh my… Hehehe"

"Grandma always did tell tales about your perverted nature" Pan was halfway through a disgusted grunt and a polite giggle, maybe that grin he wore was infectious. Or it was the beard, she always felt comfortable around people with beards.

"Perverted Nature? I'll have you know that I'm a connoisseur of the female body, a lustful gentleman of bachelors!" He waved around her staff with vigour "I've just been out of practice for a few years" Suddenly he turned to Pan, his eyes immediately moving downward as his grin grew. "Looks like my old Turtle School gi. Might I add that it fits you rather well, hehehe; in all the right places!"

"Oh, brother…" His perverse gaze suddenly made Pan feel very self-conscious her chest, though all she could think up to muster was a loud sigh, accompanied by her hand pressing against her head. "Is that a yes, then?"

He laughed again, returning to his less-perverted expression, a small and natural smile reaching his lips. "Yes. Having you all around sounds nice. All the noise, confusions and fighters? Hehe, it'd be like old times again" Finally, his legs seemed to give way under the invisible weight on his shoulder, dropping to the floor to sit down. "So, do you really think you can win this tournament?"

Her laugh came out loud and smug. "Pfft, is that a joke? Course I'll win, I'm the best! This is just me proving it" From behind her she could suddenly hear Mr Popo humming, as if to purposely interrupt her conversation with a reminder. "Yeah, yeah, I had a little trouble with Mr Popo; but that was because I underestimated him. I'm pass that now"

"I'm afraid not"

"Excuse me?"

"Your ego isn't the only thing holding you back, Pan. You lack focus, inner-guidance, direction" He tapped his staff against the ground twice, inviting Pan to sit down next to him. "You threaten to blind yourself with your own power and forget the fact that you're still only starting your journey as a fighter; it's all in your fighting style"

"What's wrong with my fighting style!?" She dropped beside him in a huff, leaning over him with a glare.

"It's like two heads arguing with each other, clucking like chickens and drowning out the other one until they can't even hear each other" He seemed outwardly unaffected by her intense glare, his eyes soft and wise. "Perhaps you'll understand it better if I explain other Fighting Styles"

"But- Well-… Uh, okay… Master Roshi"

Roshi gave her a raised look that expressed 'Seriously?' before shaking his head, digging his staff into the ground as he began. "Let's start off with me; I lead the Turtle Hermit School of Martial arts, been doing so for as long as I can remember…" He held out his hand, forming a small orb of energy in his palm, reminding Pan of when Trunks explained ki blasts to her the first time. "See, the Turtle is a wise, albeit weak creature. They live long, finding understanding of themselves. The way they work, how far they can travel, their place on the food chain. They understand, they're content." The orb began to circle around Roshi's hand in simple, but controlled motions. "In that vein, the Turtle School focuses on where your limits lie. What can you do? What can't you do? What are you compared to your opponent? Can you open your eyes to the folly of your body? Making sure you don't take unnecessary risks on the battlefield trying to do something you can't"

"The Turtle School isn't focused no being the best, or even being victorious, the Turtle focuses on finding peace in what it is" With the flick of his wrist the orb was sent up into the air at a break neck pace. "My students, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and even your Grandfather all had to learn this. And in learning their limitations, they were able to break those limitations" He looked back to Pan "They did not fight for the sake of victory, they fought in the hopes finding their next step in the journey of improvement"

"So, just the age-old phrase 'Always room for improvement'?"

"It's not that simple… Moving on" He lowered the Ki orb back down before performing a flicking motion to send it hurdling towards a large rock resting on its side in front of the two. "The Crane School took their opponents as vehicles to prove their strength, obstacles to take down as quickly as possible" The small orb shot through the lower region of the rock, which instead of leaving a small hole, instead caused the stone to falter and fall apart in a matter of seconds. "They act in precise strikes, almost always lethal if they're allowed. This style fits with the likes of Tao Pai Pai well, it is the style of the cunning predator, the assassin. They're a mix of speed and power"

"What about the likes of Mr Popo?" Pan had to admit, she was sort of getting invested in these explanations.

"He wears the marks of Kami well, no doubt that Kami was the guardian of the Earth" He brought the ki orb back, this time the orb twisted and shook as if it would be ready to explode any minute now. "In all aspects, right down to his style, he was a defender. A guardian. Instead of seeking victory through brute force or precision hits, he aims to outlast the opponent through trickery" When the ki orb got close, Roshi batted it away with his hand in a very similar motion to when Mr Popo deflected Pan's attacks back in the match. "He drains his opponent's stamina, masks himself in illusions to hide, lets them wear themselves out and leads them to their misfortune through mind games. At all times keeping the important parts of him safe from danger. A truly defensive strategy, making the opponent's true enemy themselves"

"Well, it's effective" Pan reached over to scratch the parts of her body where she could remember a stinging punch delivered by Mr Popo. "Very effective"

"And then there's Trunks" Roshi's glasses seemed to slip down his nose, giving her a good view of his eyes staring at her. "Now, I don't want to insult the boy; but while he's taught you well enough, I fear he has also instilled hinderances" She felt her body go stiff at this, two separate feelings tugging at her lips. One wanted to simply listen to Roshi's words, because he was Master Roshi and he probably had much more experience to comment on Trunks's training strategies (Especially when Trunks himself had little to no experience in training another). The other was ready to jump down Roshi's throat in defence. This kept her from speaking, had she always been protective of Trunks? _This is just irrational, he's not trying to insult Trunks..._ "Specifically hinderance for you-" _Me, on the other hand, it's a free-for-all!_

"That boy lived on the front lines of the Android's genocidal rampage since childhood, he's grown bracing the dangers of those monsters. Monsters he could never dream of taking head on, alone. His style is one of survival" He paused, the next words on the tip of his tongue, but his brain was briefly caught in memories that made his face tighten. "In his years facing the Androids beside Gohan, he always employed 'hit and run' tactics. Facing opponents that outclass him in power was always a way of life for him, and so his mentality and actions reflect that. He jumps into the fray with weak, but quick blows against his opponent. His blows are intended to distract, to stagger, to prolong the danger all before he'd retreat to a safe distance; Live to fight another day. Because Trunks doesn't fight to win, he fights to survive"

She crossed her arms, her voice quiet as she asked, "And what's this got to do with making me fight worse?"

"While Trunks's style could work for him, it proves rather problematic for you. And your fight with Mr Popo proves it" He took his finger and, quite rudely, waved it around Pan's face like he was trying to get the attention of a dog. "You are brash, you have shades of arrogance, recklessness and instinct. All of this is second nature to your body, to give into primal instinct and truly savour your fight. I assume that's down to your Saiyan roots" Then his finger tapped against her forehead. "But your mind is thinking of your lessons, it's thinking about what Trunks has tried to pass on, that thought to hang back, that doubt in going in for a big attack; when you enter a battle your mind and body are against one another"

"Okay, I didn't do amazing, but I think I've been flying through this… At a … Good pace" Now that she thought about it, she had found it all too easy to sink into powering her way through Mr Popo even when she told herself to fall back, playing directly into Mr Popo's hands.

"Some fighters find that they rely too much on their mind that they lose the time to actually react, others let their body lead on pure instinct alone which drops their guard and falls prey to simple strategy; you have no such extreme. Instead, you flip flop on either side of the scale like a roller coaster" Without warning, Roshi twisted his staff to slam one inch away from Pan's foot, causing the ground around the pressure point to shift. As if the ground had become a wave in a sea of green and brown. This sudden uneasiness knocked Pan off her feet and easily sent her tumbling to the floor. "This leaves a completely unreliable form that more experienced fighters will exploit with ease. You must find balance, your mind and body must act as a single unit, not separate entities. Otherwise you'll find only defeat that wills stunt your personal growth"

From her sorry position on the ground, Pan could only groan pathetically. "What are you saying? That I should give up on Trunks? Tell him that I can't be his student because my personality's wrong?"

"No. There is no such thing as a bad fit between Master and Student, but you must learn to channel your mind through your body, to adapt to these new techniques and methods that clash with your own personality; you have potential, Pan. But you'll only be a mockery if you squander it"

She sighed, disappointed. This is not how she imagined meeting a legend such as Master Roshi "Well, I'm sure in the months after the tournament I can overcome this since I doubt I could master something like that in the span of a day"

"We may not have months" Nature itself seemed to slow to a halt at these words, letting the implication hang over the two, Pan only now realising the strangely grim demeanour Roshi had been holding throughout this discussion (That a few jokes hid) might mean something more.

"You had another reason for coming to this tournament, didn't you?"

He sighed. "Yesterday, I went to visit my sister, Baba. Hadn't seen her in ages. She works as a Fortune Teller, you know. Can see the future with 100% accuracy. And hey, I thought it'd be nice to get my fortune read. Had to do a lot of haggling for that family discount" He shifted uncomfortably in his spot, now looking up at the sky as the grip on his staff tightened. "When we finally got to the fortune telling, her crystal ball, an heirloom for over a century and durable as the Dragon Balls themselves; cracked. And soon, exploded into a million pieces. Something was wrong, maybe something with the nature of magic being disturbed, maybe something to do with the flow of time; all that mattered was that something was wrong" Clouds began to dot the sky, as if moving to match Roshi's grim mood. "But before it exploded, we saw a single vision in the glass…"

"The sky falling over the desolate remains of the Earth. The ground uprooted and twisted. All crushed under the weight of pure crystal. And there remained only one. One lone laughing survivor, flaunting a missing ki. The world was… Missing"

* * *

 **Finally, this was one of those scenes I've been waiting to get to since the start of the story. Having Roshi explain how telling someone's fighting style to Pan was a scene I saw as having a lot of interesting potential in it, especially in a story about show where fighting is such a founding aspect. And for those that have seen Resurrection F, you can see the obvious ripof- Homage to Whis's teachings with Goku and Vegeta. Except this is more at a basic level and doesn't foreshadow a technique even the Gods of Destruction have trouble mastering, more a nod to some of the basic principles of the roots of Dragon Balls fighting mechanics.**

 **With Chichi and Videl, I hope to have more scenes in the future where their arguing is toned down, while it does serve a purpose of furthering their characters with what was revealed this chapter; I can see how their arguments can easily turn to an annoying hindrance in the future. Hell, originally this scene would be taking place during one of Pans fights, with Roshi explaining this to Videl and ChiChi while Pan struggle with her fight; but I felt that maybe it would be more fitting and valuable from a character perspective if Roshi was explaining this directly to Pan after a fight. Plus, this was a better place to shove in Roshi's warnings that something is going on; going hand-in-hand with Flappe making the same conclusion last chapter.**

 **But yeah, I'm actually happy with this scene (Considering I'm usually Mr Negative when it comes to my own work...) and can't wait to get to all the other moments I've had in my plot outline since the inception. I would start listing specific characters I'm excited to have their shining moment (From Android 16, to Dr. Sludge, to Bulma, to Dabura, to even the likes of the Pilaf Gang), but at this point I'd say every character has moments in this story I know I'll enjoy writing; especially when we get to the third arc.**

 **Oh yeah, if I haven't mentioned this before, I see this story as having four arcs in total. We're currently around half-way through the first arc, and this arc isn't even that long; compared to the others I know it will be the shortest. The third being the longest and probably the arc I'm most excited to write, with a lot of weirdness, character interaction and adventure.**

 **I just hope that we get that far :D**

 **Don't think I've said this yet: I know this must be a bit of a time investment, so thanks for spending the time to read this story, I appreciate it. Just know that you can never get that time back.**


	37. Path to Damnation

**Thanks for all the feedback I got last chapter. Now, for this chapter I will admit it is a very information heavy one, it is most of Gero's backstory; so I hope I've communicated this information in a natural and easily understandable way.**

* * *

"It all started years ago, before Cell, before the androids, before 20, before the fall of the Red Ribbon army. With a man, one Dr Gerald Gero." By now Dr Flappe had settled back into his chair, leaning back thoughtfully while Trunks towered over him from the side. "His son, Klein had signed up with the Red Ribbon Army. Never really knew the boy, but he seemed like a soft-hearted and driven child. The Army had set up near his mother's animal preserves, armed with propaganda and promise; Gero told me the boy found it hard not to get swept up in the passion of the recruitment officers"

Trunks's eyebrows perked up at this, he had picked up hints about Gero's wife when e and Bulma combed through Gero's database, it was rather amusing to think of her being a nature lover. A man of industry and artificial life with a woman of botany and nature. Still, it explained where 16's strong nature of life came from. "Soon, Gero followed suit out of concern for his son's wellbeing. Gero wasn't a soldier, he couldn't follow his son onto the field of battle, but he could at least make sure that Klein was well equipped"

"Such pure intentions" Trunks snorted, leaning in slightly "And how does protecting his son lead to kidnapping and torturing children?"

"That wasn't-… Gero didn't…" The old man felt like Trunks was reaching through his chest and strangling his heart, but none the less he sighed and collected his thoughts. "Gero ended up causing many atrocities, with every progress in his machines more innocent people lost their lives. But-… But he never…"

"He never intended to hurt anybody? What? Did he think that Red Ribbon Arm weren't going to employ weapons in warfare?"

"He wasn't blind. He knew damn well what he was getting into, he had those morals come up time and again; but he always could spin a tall tale, a reason to justify his work. It always came back to his son" Flappe leaned forward, massaging his forehead as he paused.

"And you?"

"I had no choice in the matter. Red Ribbon caught whiff of my scientific potential and held my village at gun point" A nervous scratch of the nose, cringing at the memory of that fateful day. "They were making big plans, wanted to chase the legends told of secrete wishing orbs. Something about some Dragon's testicles" Flappe briefly shared an amused look as he thought back to when that little Goku kid came to jingle village, in search of one of those wishing orbs. "And for this they needed better tanks, better submarines, airships, the whole lot. And they were prepared to do anything to drag the greatest scientific minds before them any create something wonderful. The likes of Dr Briefs, you Grandfather I believe, had enough money and sense to avoid the attempts. Wheelo was a great mind who just up and disappeared. I was third on the list"

"And Gero wasn't?"

"He was a brilliant mind, but not a well-known one" His head looked back down, eyes taking in the low flames of a quickly dying fire. "Sure enough, he quickly proved his worth and was placed in the same division as me" He grabbed his walking stick and used the blunt end to prod the logs, letting the flames rise. "And from there our plans unfolded, a desire to lower the body count. See, in battle there are many casualties, many well-loved and able-bodied people reduced to cannon fodder" He could see them now, proud smiling men lined up on a beautiful field, only to have their blood paint the countryside the next second. "Gero always believed that life is a precious commodity, and to waste it was a heavy loss. So, why waste life?"

"And that's when you came up with the Androids?"

"The perfect soldiers. Endurance, powerful and expendable" He paused, thinking for a moment before scratching his cheek. "Well, when the kinks are all hammered out and they can be mass produced, but you get my meaning. The Android you're most familiar with are a far cry from their humble beginnings" He could remember the notable first batch, such as Major Metalitron and Eighter. "Android 1 to 16 were completely mechanical. The first Android, the Super Prototype, was an utter disaster. Big and hulking, little movement speed, little strategic value and lacked enough processing power to accomplish much; especially on the battlefield" He pulled back the walking stick, watching the flames lick the edges of the fireplace, taunting him. "Each unit got progressively better, but all the way up to Android 7 they experienced similar problems. Their programming got better, but confining them to the guidelines of programs and codes severely limited their combat potential. They could not think on their feet, only trip on their own commands"

"And so, we came to the decision to add a human factor. Giving the Androids their own personalities. The first subject with this in mind was Android 8, who I believe you already know" Flappe took on a tone of both joy at talking about the innocent Android and guilt at what he originally intended for Eighter. "We designed him as a simple assistant, one who could traverse and survive harsh terrains and weather. We planned on integrating combat features when we fully explored the advantages of the human factor" And then there was guilt. "In the end, he was left locked away in Muscle Tower, at the mercy and command of General White"

Trunks took to leaning against the fireplace, welcoming the warm heat to sooth his rather cold mood. "Why'd you leave Eighter there?"

"I finally got the opportunity to 'retire'. I still had to stay close, but I was allowed to keep a peaceful life as long as I was quiet, kept to myself and looked the other way" Eyes closed, another sigh out. "Gero was relocated to another facility, dedicated to this project by now and creating two more Androids who were so advanced… They were capable of hatred and distain. And they did not appreciate being tools" His fingers curled, muscles tensing. "I learned later that at that moment Gero, for the first time, considered taking some unethical roads to success. To give these androids personalities, then take away their will to use it freely"

Flappe stopped, staring into the fireplace where the fames now began to rise further, engulfing the log and hissing at all who burned under its touch. "And then… The Red Ribbon Army was defeated. By a small boy with a tail."

In the back of his mind he could hear his phone going crazy _"Something happened, Commander Red… Everyone… They're all dead…"_ The rustling of paper, the hurried footsteps of a desperate man running once more. _"I didn't know who else to call…"_ Gero's voice muffled through choking panic _"He could be out there. I need you to help me, no one else will!"_

"We arrived at what remained of the base…"

* * *

"Gerald! Hold up!" Gerald Gero was not in any sort of state to be making rational decisions, when he had first set eyes upon the burning rubble that used to be Red Ribbon HQ, any other thought was cast to the wayside in favour of only one: Find his son. "You can't ju-" Fredric Flappe had managed to grab a hold of Gero's shoulder, but for this scientist, physics was just a mere suggestion.

He was a hard worker, a late worker. He hadn't slept a wink for a few weeks, his body hadn't the privilege of a healthy meal plan and his old bones were already crying for mercy as shrapnel scratched against his exposed legs. Still, his body pushed on, dragging along the helpless companion, fuelled only by willpower and a father's desperation.

It didn't matter that many structures in the site were still in the process of falling over. It didn't matter that every step he took had him staggering as the ground was built upon a layer of unstable stone fragments. It didn't matter that his nose twitched at the prevalent smell of gasses he knew were quite explosive. It didn't matter that anyone who saw him would be able to see fresh tears burning his flesh. All that mattered is that somewhere in this sea of choking skies and scorching flames, his little boy was alone and afraid.

One steep slope laid itself before him, built out of shrapnel and turned over vehicles singed by some sort of energy beam. Gero didn't hesitate, caution lost in the wind as he attempted to rush down the dead hill; of course, with that speed at that angel, it only took a few steps before Gero's foot was dragged forward by a loose surface and sent rolling down the slope. He felt the consequence of his rashness almost instantly, a river of metal glass shredding his arms and legs with each centre meter of ground he managed, drawing out more tears. Leaving him a bleeding mess at the foot of the metal hill. The only comfort he could take was that he landed on something soft…

A foul stench of dried blood exploded in Gero's nose, causing him to throw his head back of cough out a disgusted cry, wrenching his eyes open to see what he landed on. The only thing he needed to see were the eyes, those blue, kind, lifeless eyes. Those same eyes he stared into twenty-five years before, where on the edge of the void he was given a reason to live, where he promised to never let harm come to this bearer. Those same eyes had been full of so much innocence, so much kindness, so much love.

And now they were empty, sucking out what remained of Gero's own love from his already bleeding heart. "F-Flappe! Get down here and help!" Maybe it was desperation, maybe it was just tradition. But Gero pulled himself from the body of his only Son and turned to the hill, observing that half of the man's body was swallowed by the build up on ruin. He flung himself onto the heap, grabbing any piece he could get his hands on and throwing them behind his back.

He didn't know how long he had been going at it when Flappe caught up, desperately scraping at the wreckage, tears mixing in with the blood, his emotions pushing aside all feelings of pain and loss. "Gerald… You're only going to hurt yourself!" Still Gero punched weakly at the bigger pieces of the pile, struggling to move them while his muscles cried out in pain. "Good god, man. He's dead! You can't save him!" He felt Flappe's hand again, pulling him away from the body. Gero could hear the trembling in Flappe's voice, but that didn't make it sound any less heartless.

"I'M NOT LEAVING HIM HERE!" Gero's entire body shook as the grief fully hit him, reverbing through his body like a violent echo. "I can't abandon him" He fell back to his knees, clutching what he could hold of the body, ginger hair tickling the ground as the head fell limp over Gero's knee. "Ii did as I was ordered, I followed him to hell and back, I dropped everything… How could this have happened?" He looked to the sky, his voice rising as he yelled, hoping that maybe his grief could pierce the heavens. Hoping someone would hear his cries. "I MADE MY BED! I MADE MY MISTAKES! Why must my hollow heart keep beating while he, who had a whole life ahead of him, had to be taken?"

Flappe fell silent, arms falling to his side as he watched Gero cradle is sons body, silently sobbing in the corpse's shoulder. Despite the sun blazing in the sky, every ray of light was sucked from his world, leaving the world in utter darkness around the boy's body. There was only one ray of light left. One beacon. One clear way forward. The fire rose through the darkness, all burning, ever consuming.

"This wasn't done by an army." The tears had stopped, Gero's quiet voice only holding venom and vitriol. "This was done by one boy. One imp. One devil with a tail. Riding on a cursed cloud" Flappe felt the scolding heat of Gero's accusing glare. "The same Devil that attacked Muscle Tower… You were there"

"Gerald, this is not the righ-"

"His name."

"Gerald!"

"We all worked for the Red Ribbon Army. Most of us have been here for over ten years, ignoring loved ones, damning our souls, sacrificing our heart and lungs for metal and grit. This was everything" Gero took a handful of dirt and let it softly drift with the wind away from his hand. "Who took everything away from me? From them? From us?"

Flappe couldn't help but let guilt grab him by the throat, desperation and confusion dragging out his tongue. "Son… Son Goku" Maybe he thought Gerow oud be happy with just the name. Maybe he thought Goku was much too powerful of a kid for Gero to cause and problems. No matter what, he told Gero. And he couldn't bare it. _Forgive me, boy. I am too weak…_

"Son… Goku…" Gero first said the name softly, no anger, no fire, no malice. It was new for him, something stirring that confused him. He looked skyward, his soul asking all who listened "Son Goku?" He repeated the word with a more questioning tone, frustrated at the feeling he couldn't recognise. But then it clicked, his heart beating just a tick or so less. His eyes spared a glance at his son before he stood up, looking over what remained of his heart; burning towers of rubble, broken down and ineffectual war machines, all loyalties repaid in death.

He said it one more time. His eyes blank and empty, only reflecting the smoke that swirled around him. The darkness was hot, but the fire would guide the way out. It was a promise. "Son Goku."

* * *

Flappe now stood to his full height, all his strength and years of experience holding him up. He felt competent, healthy, powerful. And yet he stared into the raging fire, one he could see was starting to become uncontrollable and volatile, threatening to leap out and burn him. He did nothing to stop it. "He had experienced loss before. But finding his Son lying there, under the rubble after an event he wasn't even there to change, he found a new type of loss; loss at the hands of another. A loved one taken by another"

"I know the feeling" Trunks immediately slammed his mouth shut after that comment, his throat tightening at the mere thought of empathising with that monster. "Guess even monsters have something to lose" He quickly added.

"The only thing he had left to lose were his morals" Flappe leaned on the wall, looking as weak and tired as he felt. "I knew I was losing Gero, I knew that his hatred was only going to grow. But I had to help him. I thought that maybe in the years it would take for us to continue our project… His hatred would drain away" Flappe's eyes closed solemnly. "Gero didn't discontinue the Androids, he had a new purpose to build something that could rain retribution upon Goku. Android 11 and 12 were live subjects, cyborgs but we called them Androids for convenience's sake. Gero saw no wrong in it, they were dying people desperate to live, and they weren't exactly innocent. 12 was even the highly paid assassin, Tao Pai Pai, soon Gero only knew by the fact he failed to kill Goku"

Trunks almost found the irony amusing. "Gero looked down on Tao? Tao ended up doing the same thing as Gero, hunting down Goku for revenge" When Flappe had no reply Trunks shrugged and continued. "Next was 13 then? The Trucker"

"13 was where the ideas that would later build Cell took root, the idea of an Android that could be made stronger by taking parts from other androids when he needed to" Cold air began to set in, the fire seemed to have completely extinguished itself on its own. "The idea came from when Gero was ranting about how this would progress faster if both our minds could act as one. To celebrate the idea, Gero was also inspired to use this technology to bring back an old comrade. Tucker."

The image of the chuckling Trucker flashed in Trunks's mind, a split second of fear and apprehension causing his muscles to tighten. Flappe continued. "A loyal friend of his late son, a soldier; the perfect candidate be brought back as a weapon of vengeance. We were successful, Tucker was brought back to the living with his personality intact. I don't know what happened. But the next day, Gero was broken, and Tucker was deactivated" Flappe hobbled over to the side of the rom, opening a drawer and pulling out a large and worn out folder. "The same day, I found this"

Trunks immediately recognised the pictures attached to the front of the folder, and on cue his stomach turned. "17 and 18." In the photo, the two were much younger than what Trunks recognised them as. 12? 15? They had this innocent look about them, almost cute even.

"He was planning long before you'd think. He had been watching them for years. I confronted him about it and it was only then I realised how foolish I was. He was broken beyond repair, there was no turning back on this, only more shards to pick up and dust away. Something about Tucker had shook him that day. It was a moment of weakness that broke through his rage and blinded him with the moral question of what he'd been doing"

"What did you do?"

"I ran" He slammed the folder onto the ground, spilling across the ground paper and photos detailing the two orphans. "I ran, and I ran. I found the largest, heaviest rock and I hid under it. I couldn't face him, I couldn't face the world, I couldn't do anything"

"You watched him plan and scheme his hatred, and you did nothing" Trunks spat pure venom as he advanced upon the old man, punching through the wall just beside him. "You found these, you knew what he was planning to do to those children… AND YOU STILL DID NOTHING!?" Flappe had no time to protest as Trunks grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up, before slamming him into the wall. "You could have told someone. You could have stopped him yourself if he was so distracted. You could have stopped all of this. You let the world die, you coward!"

"Yes, yes…" Flappe cried out in pain, but he still managed to keep his desperate eyes locked onto Trunks, the guilt obvious. "I am a coward. I never had much courage. I never told Eighter about how I put a bomb in his chest. I never pulled the grieving man away from the path that would lead him nowhere. And I didn't stop him even when my eyes were open. That guilt has been choking me for twenty years, but…" He sighed, he sobbed, he muttered hopes of forgiveness under his breath. "Trunks, I want to ask you something…"

"Ask me someth-"

"Could you do it?"

"What?"

"You have people that you love, people you hold close. Some like lovers, some like friends, some like brothers. I grew up with that man, I was his partner for our first official big invention, I was the best man at his wedding. I loved him like a brother." His shoulders shuddered, his mind crying out for the good old days. "If your loved one fell into a dark place, their spirit broken and their intentions destructive. Could you bring yourself to stop them? Could you take that burden? Could you hurt them?"

Trunks stood frozen for a few moments, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought back to his loved ones. To those he'd come to care for. _16 could become Gero's puppet again if his programming was recoded._ To those he knew were family. _My Mother and Videl could snap, they've been through so much..._ And to those he didn't know how to describe yet. _Pan reminds me of my Father in some ways, would she disregard life like he did?_ His eyes hardened, already chewing himself out for taking more than a second to answer the question. "Of course I would. They're important to me, but I will sacrifice anything to keep this world safe, even if that sacrifice has to be my happiness" _I mean, of course I would. Right?_

Flappe relented with a slump in his eyes, like something inside just broke. "Then you are stronger man than I"

Trunks had to admit, he was suddenly feeling like a bit of a jerk for assaulting the man. No one could be expected to overcome everything. "You can still be strong, Flappe. You can help me protect this world by helping me find out if the Androids are still around"

"I can?" He responded as if the thought had never occurred to him, like the idea itself was impossible.

Trunks set him down. "Do you know what happened after you left?"

"I pieced things together from data I could find" The old man slid down the wall, slumping against it as his shoulder shook once more. "16 was the most significant point. I gather you already know that 16 was modelled after Gero's Son. Seems obvious now, bring back his son and everything gets better. But with his Son, his core reason for everything he's done; he started to wonder if his Son would agree with this" He paused, closed his eyes and braced himself. "He never activated him. He felt guilty. He finally acknowledged it out loud, he couldn't do it. No human could. One part of him chastised him, he was held down by his emotions and no matter what he'd never be able to push him to go as far as to kidnap children"

"Then what pushed him?"

"Nothing"

"I don't understand"

"Trunks, if you were a mad scientist who built fully functional, fully sentient Androids. What would you do when you realize that you can never get past your human flaws?"

"I'd… Build a me that wasn't limited by those flaws"

"Exactly. An android had no mental limits. Personality? Ethics? Boundaries? Moral stomach? All can be reprogrammed. And so Android 20 was born, forged in hatred, indoctrinated into obsession, powered by the thought of Son Goku's death" He got back up and stamped down on the file with his boot. "Dr Gerald Gero died that day, and from his ashes Android 20 took his place. So, when I looked back on this broken world, the monster that caused it all… Yes, it was Gero and me who made the schematics, but it was that monster, 20, who built the machine. Who doomed this world"

"You keep mentioning that…" Trunks crouched down in front of the man, trying to be on even level with him. "Sure, the world's not in great shape, but we're all pulling together and rebuilding. And if the Androids are back, I can beat them like I beat Cell and the Twins"

"I'm afraid that isn't it, Trunks" A faint hand reached across and clasped itself on Trunks's shoulder. "Though Gero might have something to do with it, something far worse is troubling our world. Haven't you noticed? Strange weather patterns, the World GROWING, landscapes rising and switching and falling. Gravity shifting" His eyes were wide and pulsating, crazed. Trunks had to admit, he did feel heavier as he approached the house, but he just attributed that to the snow. "The distance between this house and Jingle Village was once half an hour, yet now that travel time has stretched to a full hour. Mountains taller, Wastelands wider. Next thing you know, the sky will be falling upon. These aren't just anomalies, these are the signs of the apocalypse"

"I haven't really been paying attention… But I'm sure it's just a bit of rough weather, irregular things happen"

"Irregular? IRREGULAR!? A man in a devil costume dancing atop a toilet is irregular, this is catastrophic!" With his free hand, Frappe wiped sweat from his brow, his voice panicking. "I've read theories about this kind of result made by your Grandfather"

"My Grandfather?"

"Yes, yes, once upon a falling apple he had the thought to try and build a Time Machine, in which he began investigating the adverse effects and application of time travel. Ended up scrapping it all though…"

Trunks had sworn his entire face had gone blue as he blurted out "Time Travel? Hold up a sec, you mean these line up with the effects of using a Time Machine"

"Well, yes… But as I said, he ended up scrapping it, so I suppo-… Why are acting so jumpy when I bring up Time Tr-" Flappe stopped, the gears in his head working, and before Trunks could interrupt Flappe's jaw had already dropped. "That brilliant woman! She did it, didn't she!? SHE BULIT A TIME MACHINE!"

"You already figured out it was my mother who did it?"

"Of course! Your mother's scientific mind rivalled that of Gero and her Father's combined, she'd be the only one who could do it" A fire seemed to have been relit inside Flappe's eyes, his groaning bones paid no mind as he launched himself at Trunks, gripping the boy's shoulders with glee. "Did you use it? Have you time travelle- Of course you have, that's why this is all happ- Oh, the anomalies; this both terrible and amazing at the same time. I'm not sure my heart can take it!"

"Your mood swings are confusing…"

"Don't you get it? This is a scientific extravaganza of the century! The pinnacle of knowledge, the impossible!" Flappe got to his feet with a new spring in his step. "So impossible that even Dr Briefs gave up and he never gave up. I always had suspicions, but to know now that such a thing is a reality; it makes me… Makes me hopeful" He hopped over to the bookshelf and started tearing down pages, scattering them all over the floor. "You're right, I'm weak. I'm at the bottom. But being at the bottom doesn't mean the end, it just means that the only way to go is up" He briefly stopped to grab a large bottle of alcohol and take a swig. "Now, this might just be the stages of my body reacting to the alcohol drank before you came in, but I feel like there's hope. I feel… I feel like saving the world!"

And just after that moment, much like Flappe's confidence, the house exploded in a blinding tornado of golden light. All Trunks could do was throw himself in the way to protect Flappe as they were both engulfed.

* * *

 **That was... Longer than I thought it was. Hope you enjoyed and, again, I hope the information was neither lost nor annoying to read through.**

 **I wanted to get across that at his core, Gero wasn't just a mindless villain, he had personal reasons for what he did. Now, one thing I worried about with this chapter is how I presented Gero's backstory. I didn't want it to look like what he did was being justified, the intention is only to understand why Gero goes on to do such terrible things. We will be returning to this backstory more in depth later, which will certainly be better than Flappe just explaining this.**

 **One thing that did make presenting this backstory hard, is that at the same time I'm also balancing Trunks's behavior. I wanted to convey his inner struggles that the return of the Androids has stirred, how his desperation and anger is getting the better of him when it comes to anything related to those subjects. To the point that he lashes out at people who don't deserve it because they try to look at the full picture, I had a bit of this back with Eighter. This is because, in my view, Future Trunks has always been a rather impulsive character. He may not share Vegeta's combat boner, but he has his Daddy's impulsive nature when something gets his hackles up.**

 **I also really wanted to portray Flappe as someone who feels his years catching up to him. Someone who's been carrying the guilt of inaction for years on end, so much so that he's secluded himself with suicidal thoughts. He's thought about uing science to combat the androids before, but he always called it impossible, he called every situation impossible. Which is why acknowledging that Trunks killed Cell and the Androids, as well as the fact that Time Travel is possible, it gives Flappe hope that maybe his situation isn't so impossible after all.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you next time!**


	38. Convicted Greetings

**Lets get some things out of the way. Yes, this chapter is two days late and yes it is by far much shorter than most chapters I've posted. I'm sorry, I've had a less than stable and easy going week which stood in the way of my writing. I hope I'll make it on time next week.**

* * *

"Contestants! Please make your way to the fighting arena for our second match up!" As Kassonna dropped down from her perch atop the stadium walls she could see the Announcer curiously poking at the stage, the whole and completely spick an' span stage. "I would have called a recess to repair the damages cause by our previous cataclysmic fight, but… Uh… It seems our resident Genie, Mr Popo, was kind enough to… Whatever he did"

She tapped her index finger against her forehead in-rhythm with her own footsteps, contemplating on her general demeanour on the way in to the ring. Should 'Kassy' strive confidently, but with a good-natured wave? Maybe she should tuck her arms around her back, regal, but with the illusion of contemplation and humbleness; like how Dashade usually walked. _Nah, not my style._ Torne had a nice walk. Confident, long strides with the speed of an old lady; bobbing her empty head back and forth like the air was playing ping pong. _Though that egotistical smirk of hers does always remind me of a horse passing gas_.

As she reached the first step she wrote of Dr. Sludge, the man was a sweetheart, but the waddling footsteps Christmas-esc mirth did not fit. _Trebel!_ _Trebel's would be perf- Ah… I don't know any of his dance moves. I always forget to steal his moves!_ By the time she realised that the announcer was staring at her, waiting for an answer, her hand had found itself locked over her jaw. _Inquisitive? Hmm… I think I can do this right. Work the mystery angel. Much better than my last role._

Her left shoe trembled slightly in response to the movement of her big toe, a voice coming out muffled through the material "Screaming 'The Nameks are coming! The Nameks are coming!' didn't make that stupid outfit any bet-" Before swiftly being silenced by the right foot kicking the mouthy toe.

"Hey, no mind reading!" Came the more 'feminine' response "Don't make me come over there and paint your nails red and purple!"

Of course, the muffled cries of warring, sentient feet were quiet enough that the Announcer and Kassy's opponent could only understand that someone's feet were a bit itchy. "Are you okay, Miss?"

"Oh, they're fine. Just a bad case of the grumpy guts" Kassonna clasped her hands together with a jaunty laugh. "If you think they're mischievous, you should hear the other voices in my head" At her straining smile, the Announcer and Schnitzel could only look to each other in confusion, a moment of silence passing between them. Eventually the Announcer nodded to him, let out a chuckle and turned to face the audience.

"Well, you can't say we don't deliver personality here, folks!" The audience joined in with his laughter, obviously taking her words as a joke. After a few seconds, the Announcer raised his hand with a good-natured grin "Settle down, settle down; otherwise we'll never have time to start this match"

"Quite right" Kassy glanced down at the watch that wasn't on her wrist, tutting out loud. "A bit of time crunch. You people don't have much longer left" The scandalous giggle that followed was promptly ignored. "Let's hurry to the showdown!"

"Sure, sure, sure" By this point in his life The Announcer, of all people, had no place to be surprised about strange contestants. At least they were as enthusiastic about the fight as he was. Sure, at first he had his doubts with Kassy's opponent being less than stellar in the warrior looks department. But… "Contestants, get into position! When I say 'Begin' I hope to be unleashing one of the most exciting matches yet to come"

"Exc-c-citing?" Schnitzel finally spoke, his voice coming out like chattering teeth due to his constant fearful shakes.

Th Announcer stopped himself to add "And explosive, of course. Just… Try not to blow up the arena. I don't want to think about the legalities of Genie magic"

Schnitzel's expression only grew more wide and fearful, sweat leaving a damp trail down his fur. "Explosive!? Oh no…"

The microphone was given a stylish twirl, the Announcer pushing his free hand in between the two competitors, his voice only getting louder. "Now; READY!" The crowd cheered. Schnitzel began to feel itchy. "SET!" Kassy stood with relaxed posture, slowly swaying side-to-side like an impatient child. Schnitzel let out a whine, his sharp nails digging into his arm as he tried to scratch at the itch. "And…" His shaking had increased to violent vibrations, his comforting scratched only growing more savage, pulling against whatever flesh he could find. It was like there was something under his skin that was tearing at him from the inside. "BEGIN!

Kassy stood up straight, looking down with a poisonous smirk.

The Crowd held their breath, waiting in anticipation for the fight to begin.

The Announcer jumped back until he could find anything that would be considered cover. He'd learned his lesson by now.

Kassy gave Schnitzel the first move.

And so Schnitzel cried.

"W-WAIT! WAIT A MOMENT!" Tears were flicked off the ends of his fur as his head swayed with dismay. "I n-n-need you to wait! I don't wanna die!"

Kassy squinted, trying to find something to combat the tinge of disappointment in her stomach. "Huh?"

The Announcer's yelling into the microphone was heard from the safety of out of bounds area "Hey, I said 'Begin'. Hit each other!"

"I can't!" The small fox sniffled, his ears flopping downwards.

"What do you mean?" There was certainly more aggression in the man's voice now. "Come on, we can't have victory by pre-fight mercy calls in the second fight!"

"I am n-n-not calling for m-mercy" Quickly his beady eyes looked back over to Kassy, who was apparently quite intimidating, judging by the panicked manner in which he jumped back. "I need moment. I'm not ready. T-turn around"

"You want me to turn my back on you?" Even Kassy found this proposal strange.

"A-all of you. Please, just a moment. All I need. Then we can fight" He shuffled his feet, his posture in a nervous hunch. "We can g-get this show on the road. Be fair"

Where the audience and Announcer shook their heads in frustration, Kassy simply offered a casual shrug. "…Sounds legitimate. But I really need to speed this up a little, and this better be fun!" To the confusion of the audience, Kassy complied with the offer and turned her back upon Schnitzel. "I must say, you should keep it in mind how rude it is to inconvenient everyone in a spectator event. Next time, you should-" A split-second was all Kassy had to feel the quaking in the air, before dropping down into a crouch as as a crackling force of crimson energy shot right past her. "-make preparations before entering the ring. And I know people like to think they're so sure, but creating a list to remind yourself you have everything is crucial. Otherwise, you just look like a poopooer"

"Stupid little Kitty…" Schnitzel's voice had shifted to a deeper pitch, his tone completely devoid of that fear and doubt that had been so prevalent before. "Damn it all, I miss-fired. Didn't mean to scare you"

The tone did nothing but set her face on permanent grin mode, her energy and anticipation returning to her bones as she stood back up. "I get it, all this build up to a dramatic entrance, ey? I can respect that" She span back around to face Schnitzel with her own little flourish, striking a delicate pose with a flic of her hip. "I do respect that" Now, she was able to take the opportunity to look over this new Schnitzel.

This fox must have been a wizard or one hell of a quick-change artist, as his entire appearance had been switched. His orange fur had seemingly been frozen over, replaced by white strands. His business suit now ripped and cast aside in favour of a full white spandex costume, with a glowing green 'X' running across the torso. "Hope I didn't startle you too much, Lady" His once fragile grimace had now been replaced by a teeth-filled snarl, drool and all. He'd even grown a few inches.

"I almost forgot you make it past the preliminaries"

He picked at the crevice between his sharp teeth, giving Kassy all the time to take it all in. "Yeah, yeah. All those tough-tough brawlers had the same expression when they found out that Little Schnitzel wasn't coming out to play"

"I approve, most definitely! Now, the million-dollar question on my mind; was that down trodden loser just an act? Or have you just completed the extreme cycle of fear?"

"That loser?" The emphasize the disgust in his tone, Schnitzel spat on the ground in front of him. "He's no act. He's just squatting here. I'm the main event, I handle the deprived and dirty; the little fox is my receptionist you could say"

"So, you're the bull-goose loony"

"Undisputed"

Kassy nodded, closing the distance between the two with mischievous glance "I'll take it" He would be a fine addition to her fingers, her thumb had been needing a pillow.

Schnitzel's look never faltered, he seemed mildly entertained by the strange woman, sticking out his hand with a wink. "Just shake my hand and we'll get this show on the road" A suspicious eyebrow was raised. "We're fighters, we should uphold courtesies. A display of sportsmanship. Loser leaves the stage a bloody stump" With no hesitation Kassy reached forward and clasped Schnitzel's hand, the audience yelling obscenities surrounding the topic of 'Getting on with it' in the background. Immediately upon contact, Schnitzel's grin grew, and a choking chuckle rattled through his throat. "I can't believe you actually did it" No further explanations were needed as a very prominent humming noise could be heard emanating from Schnitzel's palm, followed by the buzzing of electricity as his shock gloves lit Kassy up like a Christmas tree.

The sting of electrical currents felt like a wave of fire and rashes were moving up the skin in waves, her flesh instinctively moving upwards as the current moved over, as if dragged upwards by the electricity. Each sting inviting a world of burning pain, insects burrowing into her flesh and injecting fire into her bones, before coming back in forceful wave that threatened to tear her skin apart. A thousand needles piercing her at the same time.

Worst of all was that by the end of it Kassy's skin had began bloating up, close to turning into paste and falling right off, much like how it had looked before when Kassonna had turned back into his true form. The electricity had tarnished her skin. Kassonna had to admit, as little as he thought of this body, he was a tad annoyed. "That hertz" His prompt response was followed by a quick hand reach up and pushing his identity back into place.

"You look like melting buter" Schnitzel made no move while his opponent repaired the damage to their skin, more curious than angry at the fact that the person was still standing after being electrocuted. "Usually, people just start smoking and smoking 'till they collapse. What are you made out of, silly putty?"

"I'm made up of pure, lazy, drunk inconsistencies" Still holding on the electrifying glove, Kassy increased her grip, outing enough force behind her fingers to easily crush through the mechanism producing the electrifying attack. "This body, however, is built upon desire. And currently, someone is very hungry"

"What are-" There was no time given to be concerned or confused from the audience's perspective, all they saw was Schnitzel interrupting himself to yell out in pain and lurch backwards. At first, it was assumed that Kassy had absolutely crushed the man's hand with her grip, but immediately after his scream he followed up with "Y-you bit me! Somehow, you bit me!"

"No, that was just Little Timmy. He likes Fox Meat, the little scamp" She let out a sigh, a wistful one at that as her fingers crossed over one another in an attempt to cover a violent response. "Personally, I prefer my meat roasted and shivering in a whirl of warm colors"

"That a threat, lady?"

"I don't hand out threats, just preferences" As Kassonna smiled sweetly, she noted that the large X symbol on Schnitzel's chest was beginning to light up. That couldn't mean anything good.

"And people call me rude"

"Nonsense, you're plenty rude. I'll even use you for rude gestures next time I feel immaturity beckoning me" For emphasis, she pushed down upon the knuckle of her index finger until she heard the peasant crack of bone. "Now, Mr Schnitzel-"

"X"

"Excuse me?"

"I already told ya, Schnitzel's just the receptionist. I'm the real deal" The fox, who was now more beginning to resemble a wolf, jump into his next position. He flung his arms out around him, stretching each limb in a diagonal direction until his pose resembled the X on his clothes, said X now pulsating crimson. "When the tempting smell of profit and plunder crosses his mighty nose, the mild mannered banker, Schnitzel, falls into a downward spiral of crime and depravity. He sits atop the throne of the dark underbelly of civilisation, a grip of iron on very criminal operation the police can't crack. He becomes… CAPTAIN X!"

"…So, you're a Super Hero?"

"Wha- No! Didn't you hear me!? I rule the criminal underworld. Super Villain, VILLAIN" He continued with his poses, sweeping his legs to come together and keel over into a new position, hoping this would give him more credibility. "Do you not recognise the deranged power of pure, unadulterated evil in my eye?"

"I'm still not sure who you are"

"What!?" He stomped his feet, steam shooting out of his pointed ears. "I've robbed banks, taken government officials as hostages, stolen candy from babies!"

Through the silence of the dumbfounded audience, the Announcer peaked out from his cover. "I don't know who you are either" Somewhere in the world, for a reason he'd never know, Pilaf felt a strange wave of understanding and sympathy for someone.

From the entrance archway back near the main building, Pan piped up. "Am I the only one that finds the fact that he's a convicted criminal… I don't know, alarming?" She had just managed to get back in time to witness the match, and was extremely surprised to find that it hadn't started yet. "Like, shouldn't someone be calling the police"

"Look, we were lax with the rules and qualifications. We were REALLY desperate for any marketing appeal…" The Announcer grumbled into his mic, looking to his two attendants who held up the rule book, shaking their heads. "Besides, we don't really have any police here and the police from other towns don't have any jurisdiction. The island technically counts as its own country… Don't ask me how that works"

"Shut up!" Schnitzel howled into the sky. He was almost to the point of seething with anger at this obvious mockery, and the match had yet to actually begin. "You don't know ME? Well, then I'll just have to engrave my name into your corpses!"

"That'd be in direct violation of the rules" The Announcer quickly added.

"Oh... Well, then I'll mark it into the ground"

"No, no. Graffiti is strictly prohibited after the Janitor kept on nagging us about it"

"I am a crime lord!" As if reflecting his anger, the X glowed brighter, flashing its displease with the conversation. Raring to go.

"Listen, you win the tournament, we'll be putting you on T-Shirts anyway. You can put your name on those"

Schnitzel narrowed his eyes at the man cowering off stage before finally relenting with a nod. "Done. Now, to the match…" He went back to smiling at Kassy, who had just got done with using her pinkie to pick her her nose. "Perfect." With her focused elsewhere, he threw his arms out wide, completely opened as the flashing of the X picked up in speed. Within a few seconds the flashing came to a stop, crimson electricity sparking around the letter; before an energy blast in the shape of a giant red X was unleashed from the suit. "EXTREME BEAM!"

All Kassy could do was clap while the attack came towards her. "Awwww, you even have a theme. I'm delighted!"


	39. X marks the spot!

"You missed?" Kassonna statement came out more confused than anything, her eyes squinting at the imprint left on the stage after the energised letter had completely passed her by. "You missed." This one was more accusatory, almost glaring at Schnitzel, but managing to reel in her disappointment. "You. Missed"

"It happens to the best of us"

"You were at point blank range!" Honestly, Kasey had witnessed and experienced a great variety of screw ups and flubs, but this managed to surprise her. "I didn't even move" The audience wasn't focused on the miss, instead shaking off the shock as only now did any of them acknowledge the risk of a stray energy attack hitting the audience, only to be saved by foreword thinking.

"A generous donation from Capsule Corp" The Announcer had inklings of pride at this revelation, gesturing to the visible blue dome that stood strong in front of the audience stands, the giant crimson X fizzling out upon contact with the field. "We figured that after the last few tournaments ended with the entire stadium exploding, we needed to do something to get the Government off our backs…" When the crowd displayed surprise at this, the Announcer looked almost offended. "Did no one read our introductory brochure? I spent a week on those…"

"I read it!" Came the lone voice of Pan, who everyone promptly ignored. She looked and felt much smaller now.

"Aha!" Kassy's attention was brought back to the fight, her foxy opponent already charging at her. "Fool! The second you took your eyes off of me was the second you sealed your fate!" Her muscles tensed, her feet already pushing her upwards. "EXTREME CHARGE!" Another crimson flash, this time from his nose, before another energy blast erupted from his glowing snout.

"That's the spirit, Great Saiyaman!" In an instant the two fell into a battle of speed and reflex, Kasey on the defensive and zipping across the stage with Schnitzel firing an army of beams that chased her down at every turn. He was quick, she'd give him that.

"It's Captain X. X as in the shape of your eyes when you draw your final breath!" The barrage continued in a storm of crimson rain, crashing down hard upon the recently repaired stage with a thunderous impact. The Announcer was already asking Pan if she knew where the genie guy was. "Is running all that you're good for?!" Schnitzel's taunts could barely be heard over the explosive cries of his beams, especially for Kassy, who upon being unable to hear his words decided to get closer.

"Did you say something?" Was the only thing that Schnitzel heard before Kassy's head came up from under his snout, slamming into his favourite facial feature and snapping all the bones underneath in half. The barrage drew to a sudden close, Schnitzel throwing his head ball to howl in pain as he clasped his broken appendage tightly.

"What da hell, man!?" He cried, leaving Kassy confused as he fell to his knees. "You can't just DO that! What type of display of sportsmanship is that?"

A disgruntled sigh from Kassonna. "You get really grouchy when you start losing" Not giving Schnitzel time to recover, she reached down to grab him by his broken snout and raise him to eye level. "Where's all the glorious ham? Don't tell me that all you have left is pitiful whining, because that's not fun, or entertaining; that's just annoying" The added pressure on his snout coaxed out a severe whimper, before a sweet, but rough relief as Kassonna threw him to the floor with an expectant glare. "Amuse me! We haven't got long to waste with this tournament" When the man was still grovelling, Kassonna patted him on the shoulder and leaned down next to his ear. "I am not amused, little pup. Make this an entertaining match, or I'm shifting the whole tone of this tournament to the bloody kind. I prefer to cut straight to the interesting bits and leave the borefests in the trash"

For the third time that day, Kassonna offered that look. Her words weren't exactly something the crime lord hadn't heard before, but there was a certain weight to the sickly, sweet and casual tone. A sense of smugness in a secret she knew but no one else did. A crack in that mask that nobody bought. In his mind there was an echo to her voice, as if it wasn't just one person speaking. "You don't want to just take your win and go on? W-why?"

There came a frown, as if insulted by the very question. "To be surprised by next day, to be fearful of the next moment, to bleed from an attack I never expected, to lose something dear…" At this point Kassonna didn't seem to be talking to Schnitzel, more musing to himself. "Oh yes, I'd die for that. Over and over and over" In an instant, as if to add punch to her words, her knee came up to kick Schnitzel into the air. "AMUSE ME!"

Well, if my life is truly on the line here… Then I won't kneel before such threats, by doing EACTLY what she wants me… To… Do… The pain in his snout was burning, but he pushed on through the pain, biting down on his lip to hold in growls. He had to focus on surviving this match, whoever this woman was, she was serious. She'd make a good body guard. But there was time for those thoughts later, right now he had to unleash his arsenal. Only problem is he didn't exactly remember what that arsenal was. Damn vacations!

He flipped a switch on his right arm, which fortunately caused two small compartments to open on either forearm, letting loose stacks of smaller red 'X's. From the looks of them as they rained down the sky, Schnitzel had o smile. Bombs, of course, this was sure to scratch this she-witch!

PLOP

Only for that smile to instantly dissolve as he observed the 'bombs' to hit the ground with a soft plop. No explosion, no big noise, no damage. Just a the whispering hiss as some chemicals within fizzed. "I feel a very easy innuendo coming on…" Kassonna, on the other hand, seemed enthralled by the red Xs, the previously threatening presence of Kassonna faded away, covered up by the mask of Kassy.

"Now, what do these little babies do?" She giggled, watching as the X began to grow, the edges stretching past her foot and that age old glow effect rearing its face once more. "Is it something flammable? Oh, is this some sticky substance that will sweep me off my feet when I try to run? Or may-" As soon as the X came into contact with her, it seemed to ignite, the hellish hue engulfing her along with a shockwave. For the first time in the fight, Kassy cried out in pain.

"Oh,, that's right. Those are the electrical land mines" Schnitzel managed to stick his landing, a bit winded from the kick, but still able to start laughing it up as he started getting some headway in this fight. "AHA! You have fallen for my trap. The EXTREME NET"

Each string of the electric 'net' wrapped around and secured Kassy's limbs, holding her in place and pulling her down with chains of pain. The current wasn't just a sting on her muscles, it managed to bypass her defences and rattle even her bones. Even if she was powerful, she still had nerves and organs. And none of those liked electricity.

Soon the pain came to an end, the mine turning off and letting Kassy drop to her knees, gasping for breath as echos of pain rattled her. Still, she managed to look up at Schnitzel and fire off a smile. "Now… T-this is m-more like it! You may be the side dish, but more of this will sure sweeten my meal"

"You're still standing!?" It was a mix of a yelp and an annoyed growl from Schnitzel, the fox jumping back as Kassy got to her feet, rushing forward with the smirk sticking. "Well, I'm only just getting started" While he backed out of arms reach, he chucked down a few more mines, these covering more ground at a fast rate, meaning that Kassy was forced into a game of 'The Floor Is Lava'. Her form was almost a blur, hopping from one space in between Xs and the next like a basketball. "I can't knock you out myself, so I'll just make sure that the only place you can stand is out of the ring!" With a new found determination, Captain X began spitting out more mines like a sprinkler spits out water, chucking them at every available inch of the stage until gradually Kassy had to fall back to avoid the walls of danger zones he was making.

"This is the time for taunting, my furry friend!"

"Uh, of course…"

"Try to have some fun! It's just a fight"

"Right…" His tone devolved into sarcasm. Just a fight. A fight that might end in me getting killed because you're some drama obsessed freak! But, to appease his opponent, Captain X dug deep within himself and let the ham flow into his laugh. "One step too close and it's all over. You're just a bug! One that will soon be caught in my zapper"

"Zap me then, X man" Her laughter carried across the whole stadium, who enjoyed the lights show but were utterly confused with the two combatant's attitudes. Never the less, their interest was hooked as Kassy began her charge, firing off light ki blasts at the traps, setting them off one-bye one. The end result was a very visible wall of surging power between her and Captain X. "Do you prefer me cooked or raw?" She charged. "Just kidding, love; you're getting cooked whether you like it or not!"

Another explosion erupted in front of her, but this time intentional as it propelled her into the air, almost over the pillars of electricity, but she wouldn't win the fight that easily. Well, not that boringly easy for her. Instead, she twisted her body into a diagonal angle and dived straight into the pillar, smashing through the wall of defence. Instead of being stopped or held up by the mines, the current seemed to either avoid her or just brush against her skin as she blasted through, sending small little tingles of pain up her spine. "You're a living rabbit's foot, but that luck won't last forever!"

The closer she got to her opponent, the more frequently the current would hit and attempt to drag her down, slowly with each passing second her skin was set on fire. Each fire more intense than the previous one.

"Your efforts are admiral, but still futile. Give up!"

Almost there and she could feel her this body start to ask for a break, gravitating towards the ground where relief could be found.

"It isn't possible, your endeavour is pointless-"

Just a little closer, but her bones still cried, this body was beginning to show it's weaknesses. Kassonna was more endurance, but Kassy was the role for now.

"Dear god, just go down!"

And finally, the payoff.

"You should ju-" Beat, bruised and crispy; Kassy's body broke through the wall with such force that X was blown backwards, but still standing. Unfortunately for him, her body still had the momentum to move forward, her forehead slamming into his stomach with enough power behind it to completely squeeze his lungs with just the shockwave. This also had the effect of knocking him completely out of the ring, over the ring out zone and crashing against the force field as a twitching, screaming mess.

"And with that amazing display of resilience, Kassy whatshername has knocked her opponent out-of-bounds. Meaning that we have our winner!" For a moment, Kassy seemed to be spazaming out on the floor, her flesh throbbing visually like stimulated clay, but in time she managed to struggle to her feet and smooth out her face. "Let's give a good round of applause to our second match winner; KASSY!"

Kassy didn't put much stock in the praise and love of the audience, but Kassonna was lapping it up like it was chocolate. But, soon she had to turn around and make her way off the stage, giggling to herself as she glanced back, catching a glimpse of Schnitzel being wheeled away on a stretcher. His personality seemed to have devolved, his face tearing up as he struggled to breathe.

"That was a nice show you put on out there" She wasn't surprised to meet Son Pan at the entrance, she knew the battle hungry tyke was watching the match, probably taking pleasure in Kassonna's pain.

"Do you really think so?" A hand up to her forehead, Kassy pretended to swoon "That's quite the compliment coming from you, Pan!" She clapped her hands together, eyes wide with joy and lips flapping to squee. "Oh, this means that next round we'll be fighting. I can't wait to make you sweat!"

Pan looked unsure at this decree, leaning against the wall with a grunt. "You were holding back in that fight, weren't you?" Her eyes narrowed on Kassy, an impatient tapping rhythm coming from her feet. "I don't know why, but you had to be" It wasn't like Pan had any proof that Kassy was a much more powerful fighter than she appeared, but her gut had been feeling some hidden power ever since the two first met. "Could have cost you the match"

"Oh, Pan. You're so cute" Kassonna leaned in uncomfortably close, running a dainty-looking finger up Pan's neck until it reached the chin, tilting Pan's head up to look at her directly. "You must understand how foolish you're assumption is. I do not walk this journey to get to the end, I backtrack to find the perfect destination" Something about those fake, unnatural eyes kept Pan from moving. "Besides, I'm not more guilty than you. I believe we share common ground. Inflicting and taking pain, reminding us of our own mortality is sick fascination of ours"

Kassy backed away, continuing to move back into the waiting room, relinquishing whatever hold she had over Pan's body. While the unease was still there, Pan was able to keep her confidence strong and declare "You better not pull the same stunt in our fight. Kicking your ass in a one-sided fight is no fun"

The woman merely waved Pan off with a dismissive hand, softly laughing. "I will try my very best, Pan, though I must abide by the limits of this body. But that is no concern of yours" Soon her form began to fade, taken from sight by low lighting. "For you enjoy inflicting pain on a level far more pleasurable than you would like to admit"

* * *

 **This chapter was might have some muddy reception. Yeah, overall this was a gag fight, with Schnitzel being far outclassed. My thinking was that after the recent Flappe chapter where we explored a broken man lamenting on how he watched his friend go insane, I thought it'd be good to have a cool down chapter or two. Don't worry, we'll be following up on the after math of that sudden attack next chapter.**

 **Another reason for the gag fight being Kassonna's was to help display the strange dynamic Kassonna has going on, slipping from over-the-top ham to serious when she isn't getting her fun, like a very deadly mime. As well displaying some of the flaws of her 'Face Stealing' abilities before his/her fight with Pan, while also showing just how he/she treat these separate identities.**

 **See you next time, thanks for reading this far!**


	40. Mark of a Warrior

Pain hurt. Pain burned. Dashade had to admit he found pain useful for himself, feeling pride while it pumped through his body with no sentience to shed mercy or arrogance. Pain was comforting, a reminder that his hollow body still had some life in it, that he wasn't a shrivelled husk yet. When his agile opponents materialized from the darkness and hit him with a hard-right hook, he grimaced, he cried out as pain electrocuted his nerves. For this exercise he had opted to fight without his natural armour, allowing the strike to connect with an old fading scar on his shoulder, stinging his vision with red.

It wasn't pain alone that helped him, that made him feel worth it; it was personal pain. Yes, the reignited fire of his scar, associated with bad memories and crippling harm, made his body cry out. But it spoke to him in clear understanding. Pain didn't lie, pain wasn't subtle, pain was trustworthy. It spun you around and shoved blunt force down you throat. The pain told him what protect meanwhile and what to improve later. It told him he was still lacking in the areas he needed to master. It told him he was progressing because it stung less than last time. It told him he was alive.

So, when his opponent appeared again, aiming to exploit this new weak spot, Dashade naturally pivoted around the incoming attack on his heels; spinning around and slamming his tail into his foe's back. Pain still screamed at him for taking the blow in the first place, but it was content for a second more. It reminded him of his old instructor, big, loud and red in the face, kicking you into the dirt and daring you to struggle to your feet. If you stayed down, if you let pain win, you were already as good as dead on the battle field.

Dashade didn't enjoy pain, but he needed that pain. He needed those shameful memories that lead him here, he needed the faces of those he failed, he needed the acknowledgements of those that put up with him. It almost made him crack a smile: Even years after being discharged, he kept his strict form and exercises in his heart. At this thought he looked down to a particular scar. Yeah, everyone has a story behind their bruises and marking, but this one was one he'd never forget. Stitch markings and strained flesh, where a hole used to be. "You may have shunned me, Sir. But I never strayed away from the path you put me on. My loyalty is still pure"

"And I thought Kassonna was the one with voices in his head" Around Dashade the veil of shadows faded, his sparring partner face down on the floor of the training room in a pile of junk and wires. The rush of battle bean to fade from his system, replaced with gruff annoyance as he looked to the side, where he met the snarling face of Torne.

"I'm paying my respects to my teachers, Monkey" Torne was an aggravating one, Dashade would give her that. Pride driven and combat hungry to unreasonable heights, certainly a Saiyan to the core. His assessment of her was that here and now, she was useful and efficient under the right circumstances.

"Don't think the dead need money, Conehead" Admittedly, she could certainly be an aggravating woman, but where it counts she could knock a few heads around. Dashade knew that no matter what he thought of his own abilities, this was a team effort, so he would put aside his petty grievances for the sake of Lady Yarimasu. "Have you been doing this after every battle, or is today just special?"

He pushed onwards, approaching her where she sat hunched over on a bench, her body glazed in a sheen of sweat that sunk through her training clothes. From her exposed stomach, Dashade noted the multiple green patches that were growing over her skin. "Your condition is stable?"

In one hand she held up a water bottle, freely pouring the contents over herself and letting the cold liquid drown the swelting heat and irritation of sweat. Her smirk grew into a snarl at the question. "Aww, your concern is cute. Trying to earn a treat? Remember, you're the Boss's pet, not mine"

"I'm attempting to discern whether I should keep you grounded to the ship for the next few missions. Frivolous backtalking will get you nowhere" He now stood over her sitting form, looking down to her as she threw him up a small towel. "If your condition keeps you in a state unfit for battle, you'll be a hinderance to the mission. I won't risk you or anyone else in that regard"

"Sure, sure" She waved her hand dismissively, throwing her head back to shoot her usual smugness at the man, speaking in a mocking tone. "Make sure to note this all down in your little log book, your Master will want to know every detail her little pet can get" He showed no visible reaction to the comment, his eyes merely boring into her with that same intense focus they always held. It was practically a game in her eyes.

"As you wish, Monkey" He turned away from her, his tail trailing along the floor through a hole in his shorts. Taking in the bright green sportswear made Torne tilt her head in confusion. "Make a mockery of my loyalty and devotion all you want" Maybe he could fall prey to her insults and mocking words, but he thought himself above such pettiness. As long as he could successfully express his respect for their masters, he would be able to steel himself from the voice inside that yelled for disrespectful reactions. "You're staring"

"You're wearing clothes" She snorted.

He reached a locker on the other side of the room, reaching in to retrieve his armour. "And? Do you prefer that I fight without clothes?"

He heard her chuckle from behind him. "Not that desperate today, Goal Post Head" There was the sloshing of water, probably her taking a sip from what remained of her bottle. "Just surprised. Why is it only now you're not going commando?"

Dashade shook his head in frustration, his chest piece balancing on his arm. "You may find it hard to believe with the similar colour scheme, but what you usually see me fight in is not my flesh. It is armour made from my own muscle tissue" He turned, holding up the armour piece for Torne to see. "This might be too complicated for your primitive brain, but think of it as a natural shell that forms around any member of my species from birth. One we can shed at our leisure"

She got up from the bench, shrugging off his words with a bored sigh. "I liked it better when I thought you were streaking" As she turned towards the room's exit she held out the water bottle to Dashade. Without a word, he took it dubiously, squinting at the contents as if he expected it to be poisoned. "This is where you say 'Thanks', or do you not know that word? Thought your mother would have thought you upper class clowns some manners"

He stood still for the moment, his eyes lingering on Torne, eyelids lowered in silent consideration. "No, she didn't" Before he took a cursory sip of the bottle, the sweet relief of heat being smothered by cold soothed his aching muscles. Another reason for pain, it made relief that much more refreshing. No satisfaction or achievement in victory gained without struggle. Not to say that Dashade would purposely invite struggle to those around him. "That doesn't mean Ii have not learned, Monkey" Silently, he offered a thankful nod in the woman's direction, which she seemed to find amusement in.

"Is being a total doormat the only reason you're here?" The question was rhetorical, but it had its effective sting as she slipped out the door, leaving Dashade to momentarily lose his cool. Past pride and anger bubbled over his face. Thankfully, Torne closed the door before she could see his 'shameful' display.

 _I will not waste anger on such petty jabs. I am better than that, aren't I?_ He looked back into his locker, greeted by his own reflection in the mirror. He was out of breath, haggard, bleeding. Some might call him a pathetic sight. But the felt it was a look of a productive worker. The lack of any notable expression, the green-lensed stare longing for the next order, swelling of his flesh where his inner demons fought to burst out of his skin… He was fine. Hhe was doing great. He just needed to keep himself occupied until Dr. Sludge was done with his current project. "Stupid Monkey. Spitting in the face of my devotion… Why was I expected to work with someone so volitile?"

He took a deep breath, slamming the locker door shut after retrieving the rest of his armour, gathering it into a little pile before taking off for the showers. "No, no, not why, but how. How am I to deal with this? Lady Yarimasu trusts me to handle it, so I WILL handle it. I can handle it. I must handle it" He draped the towel over his shoulder, dampening the fabric with his hard work. "I only hope that I am truly worthy of this task, my Lady"

Torne was a difficult person to deal with, but she was his comrade n arms. They would have to come to an understanding somehow. "Perhaps this is a Saiyan thing…" The door opened before him, his form slinking into the bright and winding hallway, situating him across from a window. The window usually displayed the space outside, but right now all there was to see was rock and darkness. Not exactly the homeliest of bases, but tight enclosure unstable surroundings did make Dashade a bit nostalgic. "Dr. Sludge could have some useful knowledge on Saiyans, especially the ones of this universe. Seeking another perspective could be the solution"

He nodded to himself, the logic making sense to him. He would trust in his Mistress's judgment and carry out her tasks, proving his loyalty. He just hoped that no more complications arose.

* * *

"Do you think he's okay?" Trunks was awoken by the sensation of smoke rising through his nose and choking him from the inside out, his nostrils flaring up with a burning pain. "I think you might have killed 'em"

"Wha- No way! The clock-thingy says he's like one mega battery. No way this dude's packing that much energy if he's a weakling" The voices trickled by Trunks's ear, heard loud and clear, but not important enough to focus on. He had to gather his bearings first. Gohan always said, a clear head keeps you two steps away from death.

"If he's dead, you're the one who's telling Master Babidi about the screw up" Wood. Fire. Snow. Temperature whiplash. Trunks struggled against a tide of grogginess to open his eyes, taking in a limited view of the pile of debris his body was buried under. Under him he could feel the frail and lumpy bones of Flappe, and when the other voices weren't squabbling, he could just hear the doctor breathing. _Good, still alive. Maybe a few broken bones, but still breathing at least._

Trunks pushed against the collapsed remains of Flappe's house, carful to pack very little force behind his push as not to make his situation obvious to his attackers. "Uh, do we need to tell him anything?" Soon, Trunks managed to get himself some wiggle room. Room to wave away the smoke and try to breathe cleaner air. Room to assess. He closed his eyes again, focusing on putting the situation together. He could sense five people grouped up, all assumed hostile, all assumed to have the capability of flight and energy control. The brief look he saw of them before the blast hit the house told him they certainly not human. Off-world military force? Monsters of the Demon Realm? Space Pirates? It was impossible to tell at the moment, Earth wasn't exactly a planet in shirt supply of strange creatures.

"You think we should lie to the Master!?"

 _"Shut up, you idiots!"_ Trunks was struck with tidal wave of panic. His mind wasn't playing tricks on him, there was no way that screechy voice in his head wasn't just a figment of some delusion. _"No, you cannot lie to your master. BECAUSE I'M IN YOUR THOUGHTS! I'm seeing everything that you are seeing. Understand, morons?"_ He whipped his head around, looking for the source of the echoing insults. _"And of course, you didn't kill him, your shots barely slowed him down. Also: HE'S RIGHT UNDER YOU"_

 _Well, there goes subtlety._ The first speaker didn't have time to let out so much as a 'oh' before Trunks's body shot out from the debris in a shower of wood and dirt, throwing the semi-awake Flappe to the side to safely land in a pile of snow, Trunks going on to slam headfirst into the first speaker's stomach. _Opening strategy; Sudden Diversionary Tactics_ Trunks spun backwards, holding out his hands to fire a barrage of small ki blasts, showing his foes in a yellow assault. This wasn't intending to hurt or kill them, merely to fill the dimly lit day with sudden flashed. Disorientation.

He didn't know much about who he was up against, maybe he could stall for information and time before engaging them full-on. With this in mind, he jumped to his net strategy, quickly readying his trusted sword and rushing to the closest person. When the dust settled and the confusion dialled back, one man found a very dangerous looking sword at his throat, faced with Trunks's calm eyes glaring at him. "Hello. I'm a bit lost, mind if I let you guide me through this for a few minutes?"

Trunks looked away from the man, his casual motions with his blade made it clear that if the man tried to run, he'd be cut down. "This is because of the whole 'shooting at you' thing, isn't it?"

Now that he had the opportunity, Trunks could fully take in the sight of his foes, hoping for a telling mark or familiar armour. All five-looked identical, tall and lanky builds, pure white and orange armour sets that came with an array of spikes, reminding Trunks of some tropical rare fruit collection. Their heads, however, closely resembled the shape of a mushroom, their bulbus top pulling their skin up into a tight knot. It was as if they were born with skin too big for them. The most defining aspect was the large 'm' shaped tattoo all shared, seemingly branded into the flesh of their foreheads.

 _"Well, you're certainly not an average earthling"_ The cackling voice rang throughout his mind again, the warriors before him cringing at the voice, as if it strained their brains to listen to him. _"Hmmm, no… You seem far more… Alien"_ Trunks didn't know why, but he suddenly had the mental image of a dog sniffing a stranger. _"Ah, you're a Saiyan aren't you? Not saying much, but still far above the quivering insects that live on this filthy planet"_

"Who are you?" Trunks spat out the question through gritted teeth, the sword's edge causing the minion's neck muscles to tense up. "And how are you… Speaking to me!?"

 _"You dare take that tone with ME?"_ There was a snort, the mental voice curling with loathing as he continued. _"I suppose it's too much to expect a being such as you to know the great Babidi through voice-only. Yes, yes, I am THE Babidi. Great Sorcerer, Bibidi's successor"_ The tone picked up into a smug chuckle. _"But don't worry about that, it'll just be Master Babidi to you"_

Trunks didn't like this voice, it hurt to listen to, it was annoying to experience and the mere act of someone being inside his mind pissed him off to no end. But, this was the perfect time to get information, especially if it was related to recent events. "Alright, _Master_ Babidi" Ooh, Babidi certainly liked that. "What did I do to attract such a, uh, Illustrious figure?"

" _I probably shouldn't be telling you anything, but if you must know…_ " Didn't take long to get this guy squawking. _"You are one of the lucky few whose energy is sufficient for my plans. We didn't notice you at first, of course, but then you almost blew up our Ki Reader. You will make a perfect addition"_

It was simple to guess that Babidi's men must have been somewhere near by when Trunks's 'mishap' happened earlier, when those visions started surfacing again, Trunks must have instinctively powered up. "You want my energy? For what?" They were here to take his energy. That added some implications that could make this battle complicated.

 _"Your generous donation will be going towards the revival of the great Majin Buu!"_ Another chorus of incessant laughter echoed in his mind, his eyes looking to the gathering group of twitchy men. He didn't know what a Majin Buu was, but there was nothing comforting about this. _"An event centuries in the making. It was a stroke of luck when that insolent duo sealed the deal"_ A measure of bitterness stung at Trunks, as well as curiosity on his end. A third party? _"Yes, they levelled half of my base, but as long as they prove useful I can simply use Majin Buu to dispose of those rodents"_

"A duo?" Trunks's breath hitched at the thought. A deadly duo, a pair of obnoxious punks drunk on power certainly fit the bill. Was it 17 and 18? No, couldn't be, even if those two were back; what would they care about some old wizard? "Who would be attacking you?"

 _"Maybe you know them, one of them was a Saiyan, just like you. She was a piece of work, completely disrespectful to some one of MY station"_ Trunks froze in place, jaw stuck low as he processed the information. A Saiyan, a female Saiyan. But he only other Saiyan in this timeline would be Pan. He shook his head, there had to be some mistake; Pan had no part in this. _"The other one was pitiful, but at least he knew where he stood. It was rather funny to me, his face reminded me of that Galactic Brat, Frieza. Why if I could I'd…"_ The words descended into inaudible grumbles.

A Saiyan, working with one of Frieza's people? This was just unreal. It was a solid lead, but didn't seem to have anything to with his sightings of the android. Could the incidences be related? Perhaps the two were Androids based off of Frieza and Goku or Vegeta specifically. _"Now- Wait a minute… Ohhohoho; you think you're being cute. Standing there and letting me dribble all that information out without a care"_ Well, there goes his fishing session. _"I'll let you off for being such a nosey pig. With the Supreme Kai's death, I'm in a good mood. Now, just stand still and let my men drain you dry"_ The group began to spread out, leering at Trunks. _"And tell me of any other bountiful individuals like yourself"_

"I don't want to burst your bubble, Babidi, but I'm not interested. I don't know what who this Buu guy is, but I know I'm not letting your schemes continue"

 _"So, cock sure in the face of your betters. You are a Saiyan"_ Babidi cackled, undeterred by Trunks's resistance. _"Not to worry, I only asked out of common curtesy. If I want your knowledge, I'll simply take it straight from the mind-"_ Trunks suddenly felt a heavy weight on his brain, the presence of fingers piercing his skull and sinking into his brain matter. It was much more intense than when Babidi was simply speaking through his thoughts.

 _"On the surface- Oh, there is a lot of angst in this one. Oh yes, so much damage; you have been through a lot haven't you? Peel away a few layers… Ah, so many traumatic images burned into your soul, paints such a pretty picture of your mind. But I need some memories here!"_ It was cold. As if all warmth had been drained from his skin, all defences stripped away at the drop of a hat. He was currently the strongest being in the world. Yet, his enormous power or moral quality could protect him from this violation. _"Here we go, a nice library of memory lane. Now… Let's see. Oh, this Pan girl is cute; and my what a high power you associate with her and-"_ A chiding laugh, an edge of disgust, a mocking tone. _"So many dirty, perverse thoughts, Trunks. I'll have to wade through them all, but I think this Pan will do"_

Trunks didn't realize that his body was moving again until one of Babidi's men screamed out in shock, the sensation of the blade cutting through the hostage's neck didn't register in Trunk's mind, his arm had moved on it's own. With Babidi's words, Trunks had cleanly cut off his hostage's head, a familiar fury rushing through his veins, every part of his body telling him that he needed to end this before it gets a chance to begin. "You won't touch her. YOU WON'T GO NEAR ANYONE!"

"Uh, Master Babi-" Trunks felt himself power up, his body steeling itself for battle and unleashing a force around his that pushed his opponents back. "His energy readings are changing"

 _"You mean, that wasn't all he had before!?"_

"You sound scared, Wizard" He pulled himself into a fighting stance, eyeing his opponents and waiting for the first move. If they were after his energy, they had to have some sort of ability or method that allowed them to take it. If this process was in any way similar to the way Gero's later android models worked, then Trunks was limited in what he could do. With the chance of absorption at play, Trunks told himself that energy attack or powering up to Super Saiyan was a no-go at the moment. Such manuvers could accidentally end up giving his opponents the edge. "Is it because you miscalculated? Or is it because you know I'm coming for you next?" Vegeta would be so proud of such self-gratifying threats.

 _"Are you threatening me? ME? You think that I would fear you!?"_ Babidi's rage echoed through Trunks's mind, leaving head ache's in its wake. _"You're just a brainless ape. My men will thrash you within an inch of your life and then they will drain every drop of ki wasted on your worthless body. UNTIL YOU ARE A SHRIVELED UP CORPSE. Yes, I'll take my time with such insolence"_

All at once, the group sprang into action, circling around Trunks before charging in at full throttle. Trunks took this in with a glare, readying his sword in a defensive stance and looking to all the weak joint areas of his foe's armour. "You wouldn't be the first to make that mistake"


	41. Test your Metal!

"Welcome back, Folks. I hope your hearts are prepared for another earth shattering match-up!" By this point the audience wasn't as enthused so much as cautiously excited. It was clear that a lot of strange occurrences were surrounding this tournament, in some ways this increased the excitement and awe of the experience, but in other ways this could quite literally endanger lives; none were quick to forget the famous final match between a pervious champion, Son Goku and some horrid green monster who bore a striking resemblance to King Piccolo.

To be fair, the history of the World Martial Arts Tournament became quite the cluster of strange activities after one tournament ended with a kid turning into a giant monkey and the moon being blown up by an old man. "Entering the ring for our third match in the Tournament's first bracket is a returning warrior turning over a new leaf (We hope) and a small portion of purple fury with a lot to prove" When Dj's stiff head turned to send a glare towards the Announcer, he broke into stutters and nervous laughter "-Don't sweat it, DJ. I've gotta play it up for the crowd, right? Hehehe…"

"Hmpf, this shouldn't be too difficult" Tao shook his head, a sinister chuckle rumbling in his throat. His height gave him a clear opportunity to look down upon the dwarf. "Be thankful this is a match in front of a live audience. Not many are given the privilege of keeping their life after encountering me"

Dj didn't even attempt to look up at Tao as he talked, to the android Tao's words were worthless chatter, this entire fight was a formality. A means to an end. A boring, patient road that ended in the closest thing the androids could get to killing Son Goku. "Were Son Goku and Tien Shinhan exceptions? Or a clear sign of actual talent?"

Tao did not take well to this comment, his grin splitting into a grimace at the memories resurfacing in his mind. "You… You dare mention those names in front of me?" He spat out his words, fists trembling with rage that had been building up for years. "That brat. That traitor. They're responsible for everything, dragging me through the mud with the crane school along with it" Oh, how Tao would have loved to have Goku's neck in his metal hand, squeezing that brat's neck until his eyes popped out. But he'd never get the opportunity to try that now. And Tao reminded himself how that's a good thing, how even under all that talk and blood lust, he still knew that Son Goku and to a lesser extent Tien were ones to fear. "But that doesn't matter now, does it? Those two morons are dead. Wasting away in their own drool after the Androids came for them" He felt like laughing, but this wasn't the time.

"And an armature like you still lives? Heh, I guess fate does have some black humour" 15 did recognise Tao, he had been an assassin that did a lot of good work for the Red Ribbon Army back in it's hay day. But Gero mostly regarded Tao as yet another fool who failed to kill Goku. "Don't worry about me being thankful…" Finally, 15 decided to look up into Tao's eyes, looking into the far more primitive machinery at work. "When I kill you last, I won't need an audience"

From off-stage some could hear Tucker chuckling away, yelling "See, you can have a sense of humour when ya try"

"I hope your friend is right, Dwarf" Tao chuckled as his legs crouched into a fighting stance, lips wide with confidence and distain. "I would hate to think you were so foolish as to think you stand a chance against the great Mercenary Tao"

"Don't worry, I can tell how much you hate thinkin' "

"Looks like things are heating up in the ring before the match has even begun! You can practically see the sparks flying between these two rivals in the making!" The Announcer stood on the edge of the ring as he tried to rile up the crowd, making sure that if anything should happen, he wouldn't be caught in the cross fire.

Tao took one look at the Announcer, before barking out "Ring your silly bell before I ring it with your head" sending the poor man into action.

"Right, right, right. Match begins, go fight, no killing; LET'S GO!" With that, the bell chimed and the Announcer scrambled off the stage. It took a moment or two, but soon the crowd was back to roaring for violence.

"Just remember; you brought this on yourself" With not a moment to waste, Tao charged forward with a single metal hand raised to strike. With the clean force that could reduce any man to mush, the hand came down in a chopping motion ring down on Dj's shoulder. Dj did not move, he did not flinch, he did not express anything; he just stood there and took the blow. And only the fabric of the dwarf's suit actually moved in response to the attack.

"Oh, made of stronger stuff, ey?" Tao jumped back, examining his hand to find that, to his surprise, the attack had instead given his metal limb a dent. "I see, wearing some protective armour under your clothes, hm?" As Tao lunged forward for a short barrage of jabs and punches, 15 could feel a glimmer of Gero's amusement spark in his mind. He remarked on how far legends fell before his genius, which 15 didn't really care that much about hearing. 15 just wanted this fight to be over and done with.

Once again put at a few paces away, realising that his attacks were having no effect on the man, Tao let out heavy pants. "What is that skin of yours made of, metal?" The once great and feared mercenary was not pleased to learn of yet another creature in this world that could stand up to him. "It matters not… I just need to think bigger" With a low 'plop' his right hand detached from his wrist and dropped to the floor, revealing a very obvious cannon built into the arm. "Now, get a load of THIS!" Before anyone could ask, gasp or speak golden energy was already shooting out of the cannon in a powerful thin stream. "Try to take my SUPER DODON RAY!"

And once again, 15 did not move an inch. He just began to walk forward.

Tao hoped the dodon ray would keep him down, or at least slow the bastard; but no such reassurance came for Tao. Instead, he was left to watch as the dwarf batted away the blast with one hand, looking none-to-impressed with this 'display'. "Arg! You're really in for it now!" Switching away from the ray and throwing away his other fake hand, Tao unsheathed his sword in a moment of frustration reaching it's boiling point. He jumped over head and came crashing down on Do, slicing his blade across the dwarf's chest to cut him in t-

SHINK!

Almost immediately upon contact, Tao found that his blade snapped quite cleanly in half as if it were nothing more than a toothpick. "You-Whu-Bu-…" He was stunned into stuttering, staging in front of his opponent with his eyes locked mournfully on his broken weapon. In this time, 15 approached the man, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground in a quite clean and painful display of force.

When the dust settled the crowd could see Tao lying motionless with his head in the ground and 15 walking calmly past. "Better start counting"

 _Well, that's no fun._

15 took one last look at Tao, it was a pitiful sight… "Uh, 10!"

 _No real fight, just a two second brawl?_ "9!"

He turned back. "8!"

 _That's just boring. "7!"_

The crowd waited with baited breath as they watched the scene. "6!"

 _If only there was someone here who could spice things up. "5!"_

The enthusiasm and energy seemed to die out the closer 15 got to the edge of the stage, but that was fine. 15 wasn't here to entertain anybody, he was there to sate his very specific bloodlust. "4!"

 _Oh… Wait…_ "3!"

Just as 15 went to take his first step out of the ring, a distinctive sound of rocky remains shuffling broke through the quiet atmosphere. Even the announcer stopped his counting due to the suddenness, looking towards Tao to find that indeed the body was moving. To 15's shock, Tao wasn't just moving, he seemed to be stronger. In his mind, Gero was expressing surprise as Tao's energy readings began to reach levels that shouldn't have been possible for the man. "I said-" Tao's voice became more strained, more off putting, more thunderous; like it was a great struggle for him to talk "-you're in for it now!"

By the time Tao regained his footing, still hunched over with an unnatural amount of sweat leaving his body, 15 had fully turned to face him with the face of someone who was a little concerned. "This shouldn't be possible…" The Android muttered. The data didn't add up and Gero's data was never wrong. But as Tao rose to full height, Gero immediately recognised the source of this new found strength. Something he'd been warned about by his new 'associates'.

Tangled in a web of bulging beings and throbbing flesh, bound by every fibre of hatred and selfishness that Tao had ever felt, there was a symbol engraved into Tao's forehead. An 'M' symbol. "Yes… I see now, Master… I will obliterate him!"

* * *

"It seems that our contestant has snatched a second wind from the jaws of defeat-" The Announcer yelled into the mic in unison with the Crowd's amazed cheers at the sudden development. "-What's the source of this new-found resolve? We might never know, but the important thing here is that it drags out this fight past one minute. At the end of the day, that's the most important take away!"

However, in the stands Videl was having none of this nonsense "This is ridiculous!" She spat, leaning over the railing and gripping the metal so hard she could bend it. "That dwarf was kicking him to the curb, he shouldn't be allowed to get back up!" To punctuate her problems, she slammed her hand down, snapping the metal railing in two. "Why is he stronger now? Why? Why!?"

"This is a sudden turn of events, but that doesn't mean it's time to lose your cool, Videl" Roshi piped up from behind her, attempting to sneak a hand around her waist. "If you need comfort, I have a few ideas; if you catch my drif-" He didn't even get a chance to let out his usual laugh before Videl shoved him off her while taking hold of his nose.

"This isn't the time for you to try and cop a feel, old man! There's a scumbag who's not getting his well deserved ass-kicking at the moment!" The truth to her words was displayed in the ring, where Tao's newly discovered strength and vigour managed to push DJ back, who had a look of rage directed back at the main building. Someone must have pissed him off.

"Just trying to- Ow!- Lighten the mood, Videl! Hehehehe" Currently, Roshi was forced to slink back, nursing a growing bruise on his nose.

"I didn't realise Tao could get this strong" Chichi sat off to the side, more curious than annoyed at Tao's situation.

Master Roshi, while not that concerned with Tao, was curious. It wasn't that Tao was stronger, it was how he was stronger. There was no doubt in Roshi's mind that this strength was not the result of viscous training. No, the earlier performance showed that Dj was far out of Tao's league with only a punch, this was something that seemingly even Tao wasn't sure of. And then there was the strange energy the man gave off. It was Tao's to be sure, but something felt more strained and wild about it.

And to make things far stranger, when Roshi listened closely he swore he could hear mad mutterings about obeying the 'Master'. There was definitely something off, Tao would never give another the privilege of being called his 'Master'. "It is an odd turn of events, indeed"

"But you're still staying so calm" Videl almost sounded hurt when she spoke, as if Roshi had gravely offended her. "Doesn't it bother you? That a murderous scumbag like Tao is this strong?" Her fists clenched, muscles tensed in a silent fury. "What if he suddenly decides to use that power to hurt the people around him? What if he goes against Pan and pulls even more power otta his ass, huh?" She was perfectly fine with her daughter taking part in a fighting tournament, but that was when she assumed the rest of the contestants would have no interest in murdering or brutalizing her little girl.

"Then we'll deal with it when it comes to that, but for now we sit down, fold our cards and let the more capable fighters handle the situation" His voice came out gruff, tapping his staff against the ground to gesture Videl to sit. "Besides, I am confident that Tao won't be progressing to the next round"

"Huh?"

"Dj may have been caught off guard, but he is not outmatched" While Tao's opponent certainly took some blow, he seemed to be on a quick way to recovery as he ducked and weaved through Tao's attacks. Though, as much as Roshi assured himself, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted neither of these fighters to win.

* * *

Tao rushed in, eyes wide with malice and sinister joy as he charged at 15 with his single remaining arm. The smaller and more agile fighter found it easy to side step the powerful punch, a resulting shockwave rocketing through where his head used to be, before slamming his foot into Tao's stomach. This paused Tao back quite a few meters, but the attack did nothing to hinder Tao's new confidence.

 _"That symbol, this power increase. This is the work of Babidi"_ Gero was the first to piece it all together, distain riddling 15's mind as Gero expressed his annoyance with this new hiccup.

"Why the hell would Babidi mark you?" 15 made no attempt for subtlety in how he addressed Tao, leaving the crowd to either not hear his words or become confused at what he was saying. "You're not really soldier material"

 _"The Frieza look-a-like did mention that Babidi is obviously one who does not like to be controlled, subordinate to none"_ Tao let out a mad laugh, looking absolutely off his rocker with how his face muscles bulged and exaggerated his features. _"Perhaps Babidi is recruiting fighters to mount a surprise attack against our new allies"_

Surprisingly, it was 13's thoughts that interrupted them both. _"This ain't that wilting cactus. Doesn't seem the sort stupid enough to think this would work, he knows how powerful our gracious bosses are"_ For 13, the line of reasoning made a strange amount of sense. _"If he wanted to take 'em out, this cowboy wouldn't be sending a lilly-livered scab like Tao against us here"_

The possessed assassin charged once more, zipping across the stage with his metal arm glowing a bright shade of orange, empowering his hand with ki. _"Tucker makes a good point. It would take a severe stroke of stupidity for Babidi to oppose us in this manner"_ The two warriors clashed with such force that the stage shook, 15 meeting Tao's weaponized hand head on with his own fist. _"And that's not even including the data that offers a 97% probability that Babidi is out gathering energy for his monster's revival; a much more opportune method of betraying us all"_

"Big numbers are nice..." 15's spat out with a sarcastic snarl, momentarily pushing Tao away and following up that split second by ramming his head against Tao's. There was a brief moment of nervousness as he realized that Tao had almost knocked off the hat that concealed his less-than-human parts. "But how else do you explain the big ass 'm'?"

"Yes, Master..." Tao's mutterings increased in volume, wiping off the trickle of blood that poured from the impact bruise created by 15's headbutt. "I will taunt and tease them for your entertainment" He pulled himself into a straight stance, working over his shoulders with a grin. "For your information, Dwarf, I have no idea who 'Babidi' is. All I know is that my new Master is allowing me access to realm of power I could only dream of before"

13's snorted _"For the low, low price of your soul"_ 15 could practically feel 13's shaking his head in amusement. _"This wackjob is even worse when possessed"_ The two began to exchange blows for a few seconds longer, Tao coming down using his hand like a jack hammer while 15 batted the attacks away, bouncing off punches.

 _"No matter, it seems Babidi is not responsible for this. Information we should ponder on later, after we've taken care of this failure"_ Gero's order was clear, so 15 cut the crap and began to push forward, jumping to the offensive. Now it was Tao who was forced to keep on his toes and dodge, but unlike 15, he did not carry the height or agility advantage, making him a much easier target to hit. Each hit came with the satisfying scream of metal tearing into metal, forcing Tao to leap over the shorter fighter, using the oversized have as leverage to boost him upwards into the sky.

From his birds' eye view of the stage, Tao pulled out his sword-arm, which currently held half of a damage blade. With the blade made useless, it quickly slipped out from it's socket in pieces. This revealed that yet another arm cannon hid up inside the elbow, though this cannon was equipped with four separate barrels that shot out of their hidey hole. Along with that, a small blue targeting reticule popped out over the top.

"Better start moving, little man. DODON DEADEYE BARRAGE!" Within an instant the individual barrels charged up with a red hue, heat burning colour into the metal before unleashing a multitude of separate golden beams, all bearing down on 15 in a rain of blinding light. For a moment, the android didn't give much thought to this attack, just dodge and leave Tao wide open. But after he side stepped the first bolt to reach him, he quickly noticed he energy blast swerving to skid just past the ground and making a b-line in his general direction. Great, tracking shots.

15 launched himself into a forward roll to avoid the next shot, quickly tumbling to his feet and pushing off into a summersault, his agility and size being the only thing that stopped him from getting hit. These blasts were fast and precise, Tao wasn't messing around. While it was most assured that he could survive a hit from one of these attacks, it was also a certainty that his clothes and fake flesh could take damage; and Gero wouldn't be happy with 15 exposing their true origins just yet in front of the crowd.

So, the android was forced to keep the exposing attack at bay through every mean possible. He jumped back, only for the blasts to swerve. He punched them away, only for them to bounce back. He thought that maybe he could diffuse or overpower them with a strong ki blast, however as soon as he fired off his crimson attack, he was met swiftly with failure. When the two blasts collided, there was an instant destination that held enough force to send 15 tumbling backwards, almost right off the stage.

 _"You idiot, how are you letting someone so insignificant push you around like this"_ Well, Gero was disappointed and whiny either way.

"This player's got me pinned down, man" His voice wasn't as smooth as usual, getting more frustrated with this obstacle. "I can't get an inch over him" If it wasn't for his infinite stamina, 15 was sure all this evading would have started taking its toll by now.

 _"Then you will have to find a way around this"_ Gero spat _"I REFUSE to have my work be upstaged by a two-bit failure of a mercenary with a power boost!"_ Another close call, this blast just hitting him and colliding with the stage, following his escape with a background explosion. _"15..."_ Gero's tone didn't change, but something in 15's mind began to blare, like an alarm, it was almost like a panic button. _"Let me make this perfectly clear. If you cannot overcome such a simple obstacle, then you must be malfunctioning. And if this is yet another malfunction in list of malfunctions, you are a defect. Defects aren't worth keeping active"_ 15's eye widened, a sudden weight lodged in his throat and weighing down upon his overheating circuitry. _"In other words, win this fight; or I will melt you down into parts for your replacement!"_

There was that panic, there was that dread, that cold reminder. That booming and sinister laughter that told him once again what he was, a simple tool, an expendable resource that could be broken down and replaced with a more obedient pet at Gero's leisure. A slave to his own destruction. "I-I know I can find a winning strategy, man. Just c-c-chill!" No cool, no smoothness, only cold hard despair.

15 was desperate now, kicking into overdrive and rushing around the stage, zipping past, over and through various blast; each threatening to be the one that brings Gero's wrath upon him. He didn't want to be melted down, he didn't want to be unwillingly recycled into something else, he didn't want to be reprogrammed. Some ask if Androids could feel fear and at this moment that was the only thing 15 could describe himself going through as he looked for any way to success. He'd rather blow himself up, destroying every remaining piece of himself with his own attacks than having any living remains that could be attached to something that wasn't him.

"Wait! Now that's an idea..." The blasts were all tracking him, sharply taking any turn or shortcut to chase him down; he could use this. With a direction in mind, 15 took off rushing into the path of the blasts to make sure that they were all on his tail, nipping at his heels as he took off into the air. He shot upwards, still checking behind him to make sure that the blasts were close enough, even slowing down at some points to let them catch up.

While Tao was mercilessly spamming his attack, so assured of this bringing him victory as he gave his opponent no breathing room, he neglected one single factor. In using this attack h left one blind spot in the form of his back, a blind spot that could be exploited. Pouncing on the opportunity in desperation, 15 moved behind Tao and threw himself at the man, grabbing him from behind. Before Tao could struggle out of his grip, 15 quickly flipped them around, making it so that Tao now faced the opposite direction; where the speeding energy blasts made their way to 15, not accounting for anything in the way.

In that moment, it was all over. Tao could do nothing by scream out in agony as his own attack, a barrage of a dozen devastating blasts, pounded against him, each blast tearing into his skin, searing his flesh and knocking off metal. By the end of the ordeal, Tao was left a twitching, blackened mess with his clothes in shreds; his right arm completely blown off. With his body broken and bleeding, 15 dropped Tao, the body falling like a sack of bricks and sashing into the ground. Tao was out for the count.

"It seems that despite overwhelming odds, Dj has snatched victory in his hands in a blinding flash of glory!" The crowd were murmuring at first, unsure if they should cheer, but soon they began to rise for the winner. "Well, that is... If Tao's still alive... I think he's still breathing"

Without a word, 15 landed back on the ground, dusted himself off and softly plodded down the steps of the stage. As he approached the main building he spotted the two looming figures of 13 and 14 standing by the archway. 13 waved at him with a shit eating grin. "Congrats, little buddy. Looks like it's true what they say, it ain't the size that counts" But 15 couldn't care less about 13's words, instead look directly to 14, where Gero's violent eyes stared back at him. There was a nod and 15 let out a sigh of relief, retreating inside the building to calm down. "You weren't really gonna melt the munchkin down, were ya?"

Gero didn't answer for a moment, before shrugging. "I would have taken out the more useful parts first. Especially the ones built for you" The two walked side-by-side towards the building entrance. "Now to find out who our mysterious trouble maker is..."

13 stared straight ahead, Gero following his annoyed gaze to find himself looking directly at Kassonna, who leaned against the wall clapping energetically. A devious grin sown into her face. "I think I have a few suspicions"


	42. Get to the point!

**Sorry that this is a bit late. You see, my birthday came up, which was also the day me and my family decided for me to drink for the first time in my life. Did not end well.**

* * *

When Schnitzel opened his eyes, the first thing to hit him was the pain. The pain of the ceiling light's bright eyesore bore into his vision, rather overpowering after just waking up. And this was all before the muscle memory of what lead to this result kicked in, every punch laid against him, every bruise grown, every bone broken, all cried out in memory of the beating Kassonna gave him. It felt like he was taking them all individually, replaying the feeling of each punch before the finishing headbutt.

"D-dear god, the pain…" He took deep breaths, his lower lip trembling as his muscle groaned. "What joke are these tournament officials playing, have they never heard of painkillers?" He tried to raise his arms, only to bite back on his lips to suppress a howl, only now realizing that one of his arms had been broken and slung into a cast.

Through the blinding fog, a familiar giggle pierced through, striking him rather forcefully. At least, that's how it felt to hear. "I'm so sorry, but we appear to be out of painkillers" He recognized Kassy's voice immediately, his body instinctively squirming at the presence of the one responsible. He tried to calm himself, remind himself that the fight was over. She was probably here just to wish him well him or something; she did enjoy the fight a lot. "Not to worry, that won't be that much of an issue"

But even then, as he tried to blink away the overwhelming display around him, his body couldn't help but still let dread creep up his spine. "Kassy? Is that you?" It was disorientating, to say the least, unable to make out any other feature of the room outside of his immediate vicinity. The fact that he couldn't bring his hands up to cover his eyes only made it worse to sit through.

"Oh, silly me-" There was some shifting heard from the other side, a jingle of metal objects as someone's hip bumped into a table, followed by a myriad of aggressive sounding whispers. "-No, I'm just trying to keep the patient calm-" The response sounded like a snort. "Of course, I'm a qualified medical professional. I gave you those nail transplants, didn't I?" Through the light, a figure finally through, though from this perspective 'Kassy' was bathed in shadows as her form shuffled over to the medical bed. "Ignore that rat, she's such a whiner. How is our favorite patient doing?"

The closer she got, the more he could make out the dirtied soft blue of a nurse's uniform. Kassy was a nurse? "Oh dear, you're looking a bit under the weather. Nihehehehe" Soon, she was close enough that Schnitzel could make out that she was, in fact, a he. Invading Schnitzel's personal space as he leaned forward, Schnitzel was not met by Kassy's violet pigtails, instead replaced by a wild mane of red and gold curls that framed his even paler face. The nose that had originally been rather flat and small now has been stretched out as if to form a beak to peck with. Where Kassy looked like a mismanaged mime, this one looked more akin to a clown that had a painting vomit on him. And yes, it was quite obviously a man in build, face, and shoulders that was somehow filling out that nurse's uniform. "Oh, I know that look; you're in love already, aren't you?"

The voice was similar to Kassy's, so was the high pitch laugh that had Schnitzel's ears screaming for mercy, even the eyes were the same; perhaps a relative? The stranger wore no gloves, instead, each of his fingers were adorned with finger puppets; yet the puppets didn't look like they were made from cloth, but like they were patches of skin sown into his muscles. In fact, one of the fingers bore a striking resemblance to Kassy. "I'm sorry, but I'm taken for now. Don't let it break your itty-bitty heart" He reached forward with his left hand, caressing Schnitzel's cheek as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Are you alright? You haven't said a word"

Schnitzel tried to speak, but he found his voice ripped away from him the moment his eyes caught sight of movement. A bump on the upper section of the man's forearm began to shuffle under cracks. They were detailed cracks, infesting his skin like a parasite, revealing a shadow of pulsating movement underneath. As if an army of insects were trapped under the skin and tried to force their way out by scratching away at the inside of the pale flesh. "You… Your… Your arm"

In response, the insects continued to move, inching away under the Nurse's disappointed gaze "Oh, that scamp. Always going where he shouldn't be, sticking his nose into everything" They changed course, retreating from the shoulder and marching downwards, the flesh straining like leather and hissing in pain the insects caused. By the time the bump had shuffled down into the man's thumb, the cracks had grown in size, offering a teasing view of what lay underneath. But Schnitzel couldn't see anything. "I'm serious here, this is the last straw" He glared down at the offending thumb which the insects seemed to take shelter in. "You don't think I'll do anything crazy? I stole credit for the book on crazy" Without warning the man's other hand shot out and wrapped around the thumb, the mini-limb struggling hard against the iron grasp of five other fingers. "I'm terribly sorry. Family dispute"

Schnitzel could hear muffled weeps from within the nurse's hand, the thumb wiggling and squirming violently against the simple grip. "I mean, some people think it's cruel, but there are just points where you have to put your foot down" A quick jerk to the side elicited a sharp crack of bone, accompanied by a muffled whimper. "Otherwise, people just walk all over you" Another crack, pieces of bone grinding against what remained before…

The following sound of his bones completely tearing apart and his flesh ripped to pieces echoed throughout the room, the instant act of the man ripping off his own thumb sparked an immediate flow of panic within Schnitzel. He watched as, instead of the expected blood and gore, he was met with an explosion of dust in his face, all coming from the empty hole where the thumb once was. There was only dust. No bone, no screams, no veins. Just an empty husk releasing a coughing fit in particle form. "I've been looking for a new thumb, anyway"

Strange, Kassy had mentioned something about her thumb before.

"Why did you just… How did you... WHAT!?"

Another hand shot forward, forming an iron grip over the fox's snout, clamping it shut and forcing his teeth to grind against one another. "Shhhhh, my little patient. If you get too rowdy, you'll only make the operation worse" Schnitzel tried to struggle, his eyes widening with panicked energy surging through his body, but the nurse merely forced him down. His will dismissed as a suggestion, a rough hand violently grabbed a hold of his broken arm and forcefully pulled it upwards and to the side where clamps were waiting. "It'll all be over soon. Don't cry, just…" He wanted to cry out in pain, growl at the burning sensation of his disjointed and fragmented bones being shoved aside, but his voice was gone, stolen from him in an instant.

The light dimmed, bathing the room in shadows and hollow grime; the walls had long ago lost their white cleanliness, replaced by a disgusting shade of green as old age ripped away at them. The ground couldn't be seen, there was only a fog surrounding the bed, as if Schnitzel was aboard the only boat on a polluted sea with the nurse floating through it like a wraith. "…Think of your future" Out of the fog under him a decomposing hand shot out, falling short of the bed, only to be followed by another grizzly limb, and another, and another, and another; until the room was overflowing with desperate and damned fingers dogpiling on top of each other to reach up and pull Schnitzel down.

They grabbed at him, pulled at him, suffocated him, leaving no room for him to move or even see. He could only look to the nurse, who gave him a sickly sweet and crawled forward, straggling the man and raising the hand with the missing thumb. Only now the flesh of that hand began to crack, bursting off to reveal another layer, like wearing a skin glove.

It reached for him.

It softly caresses his cheeks, making false promises of safety.

It lied. He knew that, but he couldn't help but lose all sense of struggle as he stared into it, slowly leaning forward until he was enveloped in its glow.

As the white sheets of the bed came over him, concealing him from the world, squeezing his heart until his lungs began to sputter, he let himself be suffocated by the light.

Later in the day, the World Tournament's Medical Officials would return to the medical ward to find Schnitzel in a peaceful sleep, his body worse for wear and the bed untidy. It wouldn't be until it was too late before they'd figure out that this was one sleep he'd never be able to wake up from.

* * *

Trunks immediately slammed his feet into the ground, propelling himself upwards just in time to avoid the sudden appearance of his foe's sweeping attack. These little mushroom grunts were a speedy lot and when they put that speed together, they could deliver some deadly blows, which kept Trunks constantly on his toes as he hopped from place-to-place to avoid them. This was bad for him, putting him fully on the defensive front for the fight, keeping him dodging instead of attacking.

He had to find a way to slow them down.

Any time he attempted to lunge forward at one with his sword raised to attack, the target would sliver out of the way in a flash while another used this distraction to come up from the rear and kick Trunks down. He managed to stand his ground, albeit on the back foot. _If I can just knock one of them off balance, just for a moment, then I'd have a way through their speed._ Like before, he charged towards the first available target, but instead of finishing the charge he stopped just short of his target, taking the risk and letting out a short burst of ki around him. It was risky considering that they were looking to take his energy, but letting his energy explode caused a shockwave, this shockwave had the advantage of knocking around the person who'd attempt to attack Trunks from behind.

He spun himself around to find his plan had come true, momentarily he was allowed to witness one of the mushroom heads stagger back in reaction to the shockwave. Jumping on the chance as quickly as he could, Trunks pushed on forward and slammed his fist into the opponent's stomach, passing through bone and strangling the innards before the man could even let out a pained squeak. "Take it all!" Before the man could utter a response, Trunks's hand let loose a split second glow before he allowed his energy to all pour out, unloading right into the man's stomach; going right through him like a sharp blade.

"Now, I got you!" In the heat of the moment, Trunks had forgotten to consider if this move would leave him temporarily vulnerable, which the mook he'd tricked before took full advantage of. Before Trunks could retreat or turn away, he found that said goon had materialized behind him, long moldy arms clamping down on him as they encompassed his arms and chest. "Right, Ugi, let him have it!" Trunks attempted to struggle, but something about the texture of the creature's arms as he scratched against it, the feeling was like rubbing sandpaper over your skin and it struck a chord with the young demi-saiyan.

"On it, Fon" An identical looking henchman rushed through the air towards the two, holding a giant needle-esc device in his hands, charging straight towards the new captive. "Time to take your medicine, meddler! Master Babidy will be taking all that pesky energy now" Almost on pure survival instinct alone, Trunks quickly threw his weight backwards, slamming his head against his captors and sending them both spinning in the air. By the time Ugi reached them with the ki drainer outstretched, Fon had been flipped over, leaving him in the path of the weapon.

"UGI, TURN AROUN-" It was too late to turn back for Fon, the sharp tip of the needle easily sliding through the skin of the mushroom man's back, like a knife through butter. "Gah, you idiot!" The device was firmly wedged in his back and judging by the sounds it was making, it was beginning to lick up some energy. At the sudden impalement, the grip Fon had on Trunks had loosened to the point where Trunks could throw his arms to the side, hitting his captor's hands away and flying forward. "Oh god, now you've broken it! You know it's not supposed to take OUR energy!" As Trunks looked back, he could see evidence of this malfunction from the churning noises and obvious cracks growing over the display of the needle. "Master Babidi is gonna kill us!"

"You won't have to worry about him for long!" Swinging his body around, Trunks faced the two henchmen, tangled in their own screw ups. _That's how they drain energy? With a needle? Then I can be less lenient with my energy output…_ He held his hands high, crossing his open palms against one another as he charged his energy. "MASAKO HAAAAAAA!" At this he released a devastating golden blast from the space between his palms, shooting the explosion of energy right on course to envelop the two.

They didn't realize until it was too late, giving neither the opportunity to scream before they were completely eviscerated by Trunks's attack. One minute gone, but in a flash, they disappear like many before them. And to Trunks's relief, the energy draining device with them. Leaving only one more enemy remaining, but even with his speed, even he knew he stood no chance against the pissed off Saiyan.

Jumping straight to intimidation tactics, Trunks made a loud landing by slamming into the ground in front of him, taking all but a second or so to power up and flaunt his superior power over the fallen foe. "This is how it's going to work. You tell me everything you know and I give you one chance to leave my planet peacefully"

"Fon? Ugi!? Oss, no!" He reached out for his fallen comrades, more frustrated than generally broken up about the death of his comrades. "No, no, no, no. I did good, I can't die here!"

"Then start spilling… Uh… Otherwise, I'll spill your guts" Trunks spluttered out, not exactly being used to trying to intimidate and/or interrogate another person.

"I did what you wanted, just let me go; please!" He looked at his hands, eyes wide and body trembling. Immediately his gaze went over to the only corpse left, panic increasing, only to start screaming.

"I've already said-"

"I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!" He backed away, fear pulling at his muscles and causing him to fall backwards. He plummeted to the floor, clutching his forehead and wriggling. His heels dug into the ground, kicking up snow and dirt with how frantically he struggled against the invisible force. The large M symbol on his forehead began to noticeably pulsate. With every cry, the symbol began to swell up. With every shout, a bone could be heard cracking. And before he could even entertain the thought of struggling once more, the henchman found his head expanding o such a height that all it took as a small 'pop' to cause his head to explode.

Trunks backed away from the sight of the explosion, dodging the resulting rain of gore with a disgusted look on his face. "Was this... Babidi's doing!?"

 _"Yes, boy. Look upon this pathetic creature and witness the consequences of those who don't fall in line!" The laugh returned, racking Trunks's mind with more paranoia of these mental games. "Count yourself lucky I can't finish you off now. I'll be letting you off briefly, but the next time I have the misfortune of seeing into your disgusting mind; there will be no mercy"_

"That's what I'm counting on" While this mental deformation had great in fear in Trunks's mind, if Babidi was connected to all this; Trunks would track this wizard down, no matter what. "I'll be coming for you next, Wizard" There was no response. Trunks assumed that this was Babidi hanging up the phone in a huff. There was no time to linger on the thought as a violent cough caught Trunks's attention, drawing his sight back to where D. Flappe lay, worse for wear, but at least intact. "Dr. Flappe!" Trunks was by the man's side in an instant, kneeling down to help the man lean against his shoulder. "You okay, sir?"

"I'm… Hehe, fine. Nothing more than a few scrapes and- Ack- bruises" Despite the words, Flappe still clung to Trunks for dear life. "But those… Things…"

"I take it you didn't know who they were either?"

He couldn't shrug no matter how much he tried, so he just sighed "Not a clue, my boy"

Trunks carried him forward, taking off into a slow and steady flight towards Jingle Village "Ever heard of the name 'Babidi'?"

"Outside of an old children's story rhyme? No."

"I'm sorry about your house"

The good doctor shook his head with a forced smile. "Not to worry, I was thinking of getting that old lab refurbished anyway…" The smile faded as he took on a more nervous look. "What will you do now?"

It took a moment for Trunks to think over his next action "I'm going to check on a friend, Android 16" The name left Flappe wide-eyed, recognition of the unit flushing against his cheeks. "Babidi and his men let it slip that they're taking energy from people and using it to revive some guy named 'Majin Buu'. If he's tracking down people with high energy levels… 16 has that infinite energy component like 17 and 18, right? That sounds like a lot of energy that Babidi could use" It wasn't the decision that Trunks liked. His heart instantly worried for Pan's safety, his mind already thinking up scenarios of her being subjected to the evil wizard's magic. Scenarios that made his blood boil and his body tense. But, through this short interaction with Babidi, Trunks reasoned that the tournament grounds would be an unlikely spot for Babidi to show up unless desperate. Too public. She'd be in the company of fellow martial artists. At least, that's what Trunks thought. Though, there was also the question of if that device the mushroom creatures used to track him down could even detect 16's energy. "Could you do me a favour?"

"Of course,"

"I'm going to drop you off in the village now. As soon as you can, you need to contact my mother using this and tell her everything that's happened here and what you told me" Trunks landed on the outskirts of the village, where the towering form of a worried Eighter Lumbered towards them. He left out talking about Babidi's reveal of the alien duo, wanting time to make sense of the information before he tried to explain it to anyone. "Well, if you're not still too bruised from the explosion"

Flappe shook his head, a determined glint sparking in his eye "I'll help in any way I can"

"Thank you" Trunks managed to form a smile for the day, offering the smaller man a bow before taking off into the sky. "I have the feeling that I'll be needing all the help I can get"


	43. Taboo Tastes

**This is a few days late and I'm sorry for that. The past few weeks have been rather hectic, so I hope you bear with me since the next few uploads, though I will try my best to get them done on time, will most likely be late.**

* * *

No sooner had Tails and Banner left the main room to take their place on the fighting stage, no sooner than the crowd even had their chance to cheer, no sooner than the moment before the Announcer could gleefully start the final match of the first bracket, no sooner than that… Did the body of Banner come smashing through the wall, just above Pan's head, and slam into the ground with his shoulder, breaking the titled floor with a few broken bones.

Pan for the moment couldn't really have much of a reaction, but the vent did manage to stop her slurping on her cold can of 'juice' to look. Her eyes went to Banner, then she shifted in her set to look out of the new hole in the wall, then to Tails with one arm held up and a disgruntled glare towards the Announcer, then to the stunned audience, then she awkwardly shifted her eat away from the hole and went back to loudly slurping on the straw.

To the annoyance of everybody in the room.

"And- Uh… With that, the winner is TAILS!" Unenthusiastic claps ensued as the Announcer laughed nervously. "Which means we are officially moving onto the semi-finals bracket of the tournament!" Dead silence. "Wahoo?"

Pan found her can empty and her straw just emitting empty noise, prompting her to finally "That was quick" as she shook her can mournfully. She was thirsty, damn it!

"Boring, unsatisfying and over before you can really get a taste of it" A sigh came from Kassy, who, for reasons that Pan would never understand, had decided to sit in the middle of the room balancing on her own head. "Too many flashbacks coming on"

Unnerved or not, Pan had to agree with her future opponent, leisurely crushing the empty can in her hand (A feeling Pan never tired of) and dropped it to the floor. "Shame that Banner can't suddenly go demonic like Tao" She peered closely at Kassy's face, hoping for some sort of telling reaction from the woman. There had been some weird occurrences after Kassy's match with Schnitzel, namely that Kassy almost immediately disappeared from the room after it, only coming back half-way through Tao and Dj's match looking extraordinarily pleased with herself, before going on to piss off Tails and Tucker somehow. Seriously, after Dj beat Tao, Tails had began glaring daggers at her.

Kassy simply looked disappointed. "We can't always get what we want" After a few seconds of pouting, the woman grew bored of it, instead turning that frown upside down, making it a… Frown? "Silver Lining; that just means we get to our bountiful bout sooner!" Her voice swept up into a sing-song tone. "Oh, I do feel a beckoning wind of excitement at the prospect of ramming your face into the ground"

"Yeah, I look forward to breaking your bones too" Pan waved her off dismissively, muttering under her breath "That jaw for instance. Hard to speak with that broken"

"Bah! Such a negative nancy" A sigh followed by a dry delivery, all while the woman showed off her flexibility with her legs; Pan didn't find it that impressive. "Come now, dearie; your adoring fans in the audience aren't here to judge you, neither is Trunks. You can let out all your satisfaction with your dark desires here. Look at that beast raging under your skin, starving for attention and smile at it, welcome it"

As Pan rolled her eyes, she was starting to wonder why she ever felt so fearful of this woman in the first place. "You know, I think it's stuff like this that weirds me out and makes me want to distance myself from you" The less she heard Kassy talk about her 'dark desires', the better. "And Trunks will be here, he's just running a little late"

"Oh, don't you worry your pretty little swollen head, Panny" She chuckled in a rather condescending way. "I'm sure your Master is simply busy with other matters, matters that are far more important than his… Student, was it?" Pan felt an eye-twitch akin to her mother's coming on. What did this creep know about Tru- How did she even know about Pan's training? "Pity he can't catch your shining moments, you are certainly surpassing his expectations. He'll be so surprised" The way Kassy spoke… Pan shook her head, rejecting possibilities that popped into her mind.

Kassy was probably some stalker who watched their training sessions, trying to psyche Pan out before the match. Pan trusted that Trunks wasn't talking about her behind her back with some random girl. Imaging such a situation in her thoughts, imagining insulting words coming out of Trunks as he complained about his student and laughing at her pathetic performance… Yeah, it'd feel bad to hear from him, but it'd also feel unnatural. Trunks was too nice for such a thing and it made Pan feel ashamed for even humouring the idea for a second. "I think you're a bit too obsessed with the lives of others, Kassy _dear._ "

"Panny, you can't keep this all bottled up" She dropped from her head stand and rolled onto her feet, leering at Pan as she approached. "Such a beast is impossible to cage. Why deny the inevitable when accepting who you are is such a pleasure? To lug it around by a steel chord, every day, is such a tiring and thankless method. Why not have it walk loyally beside you, nozzle at your hand and roar at your beck and call? Let it roam free, otherwise it'll scratch" A step closer. "It will claw. It will beat against it's cage and it will break free. And when it does break free…" She slinked in beside Pan, a sharp looking finger drawn against her chest. "It will hurt. For everyone"

"I did the same thing once. I had this urge, this desire, this idea that pulled at my flesh and set my passions ablaze!" The fingers withdrew, reaching around to clap themselves over Pan's shoulders, pulling the girl close so Kassy could whisper in her ear. "But I turned up my nose at it, I ignored it, I left it to rot" Once more, Pan could see it, that blank world surrounding her, a world without colour, a world lost and lacking in all sense of life. There was nothing. "And it burned me, it started a fire that singed my very skin until I was consumed, until I was flayed. There came a moment where I faced it, I looked into the mirror, the flames at my back. And the flames didn't burn me"

The voice twisted in her mind, dripped into the world around her, swirling variety into this blank space. Something punched her straight in the gut, the pain flashed before her very eyes, but the pain brought something with it. The flash showed her potential, it showed her a more colourful world, one she could enjoy. "Don't deny who you are, embrace it. Savour the spices of life" Her hands reacted on their own, they pushed forward, a scream tearing through the veil of monotony. She hit something, broke something and it bled onto the ground. "Just break free from your inhibition, break through your shell. Break." The blood came in drops, but they were instantly the centre of attention, immediately the first thing she looked to. The blanks were filled with such vibrant red, so many shades and tints seeping into the world, a breath of fresh air that ended her suffocation.

She reached forward, the splotches growing into a pool, one she could sink her hands into. It was as smooth as silk and when she pulled her hands back out of the pool, the smell hit her, the smell intoxicated her. There was power, energy, life all forging a blistering heat that burned her hands. Pan looked down at her hands, the blood dripping off to soak the rest of her body.

And in that moment, she felt her tongue lash out at her lip. Drool leaking from the corner of her lips.

"Stop it!" She growled. A desperate growl that fit more with whimpering little girl than a grown woman. "I don't know what the hell you're playing at, but STOP IT!" She was back in reality, she was still clean, but right now she was stumbling forward like a drunk. Her skin flushed red, sweat dripped from her brow and her body squirmed. But as she braced herself against the wall, her knees falling weak under a pressure she didn't realise was there, she could see no sign of Kassy in the room. "That bitch…"

She was simply left with the odd glances of the participants that still remained in the room, as well as a bit of attention from the crowd, who, while hadn't understood what she was saying, did notice that the crazy lady was yelling at herself. "I… I need a bathroom break" A hoarse excuse spoke through a dry throat before she shot off down the hallway, just hearing snippets of the Announcers informing everybody how there would be a break before the next batch of fights started when she was halfway through the door at the end of the hallway.

The bathroom was spotless, spotless and white; fucking shining white. The sight made bile rise in her throat, the heat increasing as the air in the room suddenly felt limited and thin. "Who does she think she is? Some… Some psychopathy person?" Once more, she felt herself leaning against the wall, digging her finger into the tiles. Making holes, making plenty of holes on her way to the tap.

There was a moment of consideration, looking to the stalls where she could empty all of that that swirling mass of disgust in her stomach into the toilet bowl. She opened her mouth, testing to see if her stomach would twist, but it refused to surface, it wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon unless she cut it out. "What would Mom say about this? Heh, she'd probably grab Kassy by the ear" A few turns of the knob and the water came down. When a few stray droplets of water landed on Pan's arm, she let out a gasp, for the first time really embracing how good the cold touch felt on her burning skin.

The liquid spilled out over Pan's hand, soaking her fingers with the relieving substance as her other hand reached over to the soap dispenser. A press of a button. The fluffy, gleaming slush wobbled in her hand, only to be immediately turned to dust when she slapped is against her other hand. And she rubbed it in, she rubbed it in hard, practically strangling her fingers as she pushed them under the cold water.

Her hands were clean.

But she couldn't stop.

Her hands were clean.

But she needed to clean them. Scrub them hard, make sure that no spec goes unnoticed. Scrub them until the flushed skin becomes bruised, until she could feel clean again. Until this room stopped being so god damn white!

She could feel her reflection laughing at her antics, looking down on her for such hygienic diligence that she'd never displayed until now. With that, Pan shot a glare at her reflection, her much older looking reflection. Or maybe Pan was just tired, and it was showing. The woman that grinned back at her stood a few inches taller, a bit buffer with vein popping out of her flesh and a few bruises decorating a face that had once been rather cute. The hair was longer as well, the fringe now over her forehead, covering up something new. Something sinister.

The reflection grinned at her, tapping a gloved fist against the metallic chest piece she bore. It was armour, resembling what Pan had been told Saiyans would tend to wear to battle. Another shake of the head. It wasn't real. More cold water splashed against her face, dowsing the foul flames that grabbed at her flesh.

She looked up.

And she saw her normal reflection once more, a haggard young face with a desperate glint caught in her eye, completely vulnerable as she stared. "I'm fine… I'm fine… I'm fine…" She felt herself flinch involuntarily when her finger came forward against her forehead. She was heating up and as with most heat, it also came with an itch, but where that itch was, Pan couldn't say. Might as well have been all over her body.

 _You're scared._

While the reflection had dissipated, that itch carried the presence of it, an itch to give in and scratch.

 _If they knew the real you, would they accept you?_

And Pan knew scratching an itch only made it worse.

 _Would Trunks?_

So, she wouldn't scratch it, no matter how much she wanted to.

 _Will you?_

As she exited the bathroom to the tune of her own thumping heart, she managed to look ahead and focus, focus on one thing. Something simple. Something that felt therapeutic for her. Something she held no shame in being both excited and determined in.

She was gonna kick Kassy's ass.


	44. 16, The Natural Diplomat

**Identification: Android Unit – 16**

 **Purpose: Destroy Son Goku**

Those two sole facts had been the founding factors of 16's life every since his creation, built into every fibre if his being was Gero's quest for vengeance, nothing before and nothing after. There was also an astounding amount of data on the Z Fighters and on 16's own protocols in the realm of combat, his capabilities and his limits. But such things were only tools for that underlying goal of Son Goku's complete destruction.

Looking back, 16 found confusion in that, in his purpose. Son Goku had met his end long before 16's reactivation, soon joined by the rest of the Z-Fighters at the hands of later models. Back then, this was a hard piece of data to process, an equation that only brought errors to mind. He was made to kill Son Goku. Son Goku is dead. What now? Bulma and Trunks had said something like 'What do you want to do?', his memory banks still recalled his response of killing Son Goku.

They apparently found that response funny.

Thinking to that laughter, way back when, to the day Trunks pulled the Android's deactivated body out from the clutches of Gero's mountain lab, it was a tad nostalgic. 16 looked down to his chest plate with a smile. Once, there had been a large, gleaming Red Ribbon insignia emblazed across the left side of his chest. There still remained traces of red, but they had been clumsily scraped away by his own hand, burying the old symbol that had once defined him under a new logo; Capsule Corp.

He took a moment to press his hand against the emblem, over where his heart would be placed if he was an organic, squeezing it for good measure. As if he feared letting go of that symbol. When he scraped his fingertips against the metal skin of his chest, images floated above him, dissolving into the sky. Warm images. He reached up, grabbing a hold of those mental pictures, those brief memories that slipped through his fingers the first time, grabbing a hold of them and pulling them back down to rest against his chest, his non-existent heart. He held them tightly, desperate to never let them go again. Something told him to let them go, that same voice that still hid under the pressure of his old programming, that told him to ignore everything else, the same voice that howled at him to spill the blood of Son Goku even to this day; and yet he didn't let go. And it made him feel guilty. He felt like a child looking up at a disappointed parent.

But at the same time, it pushed forward a combination of feelings 16 associated with stubbornness and resolution. He was guilty of going against that voice, but he shouldn't feel bad for doing so, because that voice never helped him, cared for him or guided him. It didn't tell him where to go, Gero never told him where to go, just threw him into the deep end of the ocean to drown.

16 let go, bringing his attention back to his surroundings, looking over the vast wasteland before him. Ridges dropped down into sink holes, crevices spreading around the environment like rivers seeping into forests. Most noticeable of all was the jagged pieces of alien metal that stuck out of the ground, some forming rooms and others just stray strips of metal flesh, all surrounded by fences and whirling machinery.

The Android found himself hesitant as he moved forward, the fact that the remainder of the Red Ribbon army had pooled into the area, backed up by scavenging equipment and monstrous trucks carrying a few dozen armed soldiers. "Red Ribbon is after Frieza's technology, conveniently close to when these odd occurrences began. There is a 95% chance that these two incidents are linked. This is disturbing news"

He carried no fear of physical harm as he approached them, his hulking metal form being perfectly adequate to treat any damage from normal firearms like an irritating fly. No, the only fear that stood by him was one of anticipation, one of uncertainty. He hoped that other 5% was the correct path, that there was no connection, that it was possible Trunks was deluded. Because if this was indeed a sign of the advent of the Android's return, that Dr. Gero had stuck to the shadows once more, improving his destructive tools to surpass the latest models; 16's data put together a probable landscape of desolation in mind.

The worst possibility of all was the capabilities of Gero, more specifically, what he could do to 16. Over the years, 16's programming had been reduced to an annoying whisper because it was no longer possible to complete, it hit a dead end. Most likely because Gero planned to give further orders and commands after Goku's death, not expecting to be murdered by his own creations before that glorious day. But if Gero returned, would he easily be able to change all that? Would he be able to give 16 orders?

Would 16 be powerless to stop himself from turning on the ones who treated him so kindly, who he wanted to protect? 16 didn't want to go back to the way things were before, he didn't want to…

A sudden snarl broke off any thought process. 16 turned his full attention to the two soldiers aiming shotguns square at his face, not wanting to be rude by ignoring them. "Alright, big guy; hands where we can see them!"

16's head fell into a tilt at this, looking down at his rather massive hands before looking back to his attackers, confused. "My hands are already perfectly visible. If you are experiencing vision problems, I fear that raising my hands is not an ample solution to them. May I suggest glasses?" Yes, he knew that the two were threatening him, but he also thought that perhaps if he came off as helpful and kind to them, the two would be less inclined to cause an unnecessarily violent event.

"Oh, you think you're funny?" One of them snapped, prodding the android's forehead with the barrel of his gun. 16 did not like the prodding. "You're cute." That was an insult now a days? _How curious._

"Forming Retort" To the confused faces of the soldiers, his body went completely stiff as beeps and mechanical whirls rumbled through his body. "Retort Formed" His muscles relaxed, and he tried his best to put on a cocky smirk, which just resulted in a wide smile that the soldiers would surely be seeing in their nightmares for years to come. "I am told that I can be adorable at times"

One leaned towards the other, loudly whispering "What are those weird faces he's making!?"

The other responded, just as panicked at the image. "I dunno, but it's scary!"

"Just start shooting him already!"

"Please." They both let out a gasp when 16 finally raised his massive hands, so he could clamp his fingers around each gun, which from the soldier's perspectives was akin to trapping the weapons halfway inside a mountain. "I take no joy in such actions, the very idea of harming another is one that unnerves me. So, I make a request that you please take the peaceful solution in this situation, for it will lead to a better future for you"

"Well, when you put it like that-"

CRUNCH!

Before those words could drip from the confines of their mouths, their jaws dropped at the sight of 16's fists easily crushing the two weapons with nothing but an encouraging smile. "I am happy to know that there's no need for any blood to be spilled this day. You will not be needing these anymore"

"Oh, great. Of course. Just our luck"

"What even are you!?"

From memory, 16 had seen many examples that told him it was customary to bow when introducing oneself, so he did so. "I am identified as 16"

"That young!?"

"Android 16."

There was a pause. A gasp. A cry of pain. A sigh. All before one of the two turned back to yell at the rest of the camp. "Hey, Boss!"

"What is it, Norbet?"

"WE'RE DEAD!"

It was only a matter of five minutes, some rocket punches to the air, some wasted ammo and flight before 16 was free to roam amongst the site. It had all happened so fast that he was still trying to understand why suddenly everyone around him was acting like he was their best friend, nervously leading him around the entire excavation zone while awkwardly laughing at whatever he said. He didn't mind too much, it was rather convenient, and no one got hurt, but it was starting to weird him out.

"And here is the interior of the U.F.O, which is by far the piece from the ruins that we've almost fully excavated. Hehehe" The 'Foreman' gestured towards half of a room that stuck out of the ground, holding what 16 assumed to be the healing chambers that Frieza was recorded to have, in a rather impressive state of quality considering the years without maintenance.

"It is surprising that Son Goku left anything intact after blowing up Frieza's ship" 16 noted to himself that he would bring Bulma over sometime to scavenge for parts and to research the salvage, it was possible this find could accelerate Earth's medical science if anything useful remained. "Have you experienced any anomalies in the area recently?" Perhaps the army had stumbled upon anything to do with the two other signals Bulma detected.

"Oh, nothing but heresy" The Foreman waved off, only to recoil in fear when 16 turned to him with interest. "N-nothing to worry about, Mr Android Sir! Just some reports of strange weather, people teleporting and all that nonsense. Some of the men even think gravity has been changing or something and that they're seeing strange things in the air like ghosts"

"Strange indeed" With each word, 16 noted the 'symptoms' in a mental document, prepare to relay these same words back to Bulma for analysis. "I will keep my sensors primed. Thank you for the information" Could the technology of Frieza's ship have such an effect on the planet? Or was this the doing of the other two readings Bulma's radar picked up?

"O-oh, you're welcome!"

"You seem scared of me"

"Well, no offense, of course! But, considering how easy you can squash my head like a melon; I'm just a bit cautious" Understanding dawned on 16's face as he looked back to all the other scared soldiers.

"Ah, I understand no-" He stopped, his mind pausing the conversation and rewinding, listening to their interaction again, looking into the reaction to him. It was almost like it was their first time interacting with an Android in years… 16 then felt the need to smack himself as he realised he never thought to ask the obvious question. "You haven't met any other Androids recently, have you?"

"I hope not! You're scary enough on your own…"

"And Dr. Gero?"

The man waved his hands in front of him. "That old crack pot? I don't know nothing about him. He could be dead or just sat down with his thumbs up his ass as far as I know"

16 couldn't detect any trace of attempts to deceive in the man's tone or body language. "You have not had any contact with Dr. Gero? Nor have you witnessed any new androids skulking about?" This new information sank in, the 5% possibility had been right after all, there was no need to panic. And yet, 16 still had that human gut instinct that this wasn't over. Even if the Red Ribbon Army weren't connected, even if the images of 13 were just a traumatic illusion, even if those anomalies were just a farce…

There was still the matter of those two other readings.

"Capsule Corp will be taking ownership of this site and all scavenged parts" And just as 16 crept down this line of reasoning, his scanner began to go crazy, picking up two separate, above average power levels heading right for them. "I suggest now that you gather your men and leave these site immediately" 16 put on a forceful tone, one he'd seen Bulma display when she wanted people to do what she told them to do. One particular separate reading he was getting from the two coaxed out some recognition in 16's data, some sort of connection in his files with the machinery the two were using. Scouters. "There are two distressing individuals heading to this location and I fear that a violent confrontation will be unavoidable"

As he spoke, his head turned, stiffly glancing across the blue splatter that was the sky for any signs of life. He didn't check to make sure the army was leaving the area, merely listening to hurried footsteps and engines starting as his eyes finally fell upon movement skywards. They were getting closer, which he didn't attempt to stop, even if he saw this situation as worry some, he would still attempt diplomacy. So, silently he stood and watched as the forms of Neiz and Dore came into view, their appearance and genetic readings instantly recognisable as alien. That explains the extra readings. Frieza's Empire must have been sending space crafts of a similar model to Frieza's down to Earth, was this the sign of an invasion?

After minutes of silence aside from the gust of wind, the two landed, not looking too pleased with meeting 16. "You're an Android" The green one stated gruffly.

"And you are not of this planet" A blunt statement accompanied by a curt nod. "I hope that this is an envoy of some sort, offering a peaceful alliance from alien life, but my data finds this outcome unlikely"

"Good guess" The taller, more reptilian one screeched. "What are you here for?"

"To keep the Earth safe from those that would seek to harm it" They noticeably tensed as 16 pulled himself into an offensive stance, staring the two down. He went through his data, comparing his own power and skill to that of theirs, with observations of their physiology as he tried to estimate his chances against them in a fight. But never the less, his calculations came up as inconclusive. They were certainly much stronger than grunts, together they might even surpass the likes of 17 and 18. "I will only ask this once. Why are you here? Because one answer will have to force my hand to commit unpleasant means"


	45. Friends fall, Frenemies Last!

The wind bellowed with a mighty roar as it swept through the area, Dore's mane billowing as a result while 16's artificial strands struggled with the wind. Neiz was left in the midst of this, pangs of jealousy flaring up as he patted his hairless head, watching the other two's hair dance with the wind so dramatically. It just wasn't fair!

"So…" Dore began with an awkward cough into his palm, shifting his gaze from his opponent to his teammate. "Are you gonna attack us or what? We've been standing here for, what, five minutes?"

16 seemed only confused by this. "You didn't answer my query" He raised his hands, tapping his forehead. "I came to the conclusion that you were still processing"

"What? You calling us slow!?" Neiz growled out, him and Dorse re-jumping into a fighting stance.

"I think he is!" Dore pounded his fist into the palm of his hand.

"Listen, Pal. We were just waiting for you to throw the first punch!" 16 showed little reaction to the reptile's deceleration.

"Oh, my apologies" After thinking it through for a moment, 16 offered a polite bow. "I did not wish to appear rude and risk interrupting your response" He closed his open hand into a fist, looking down at it. "Especially when I am still not 100% confirmed on your motives and level of threat intended towards this planet. Bringing harm upon another without such variables concrete would be terrible conduct"

In response, the two aliens moved to huddle with one another, breaking into a myriad of loud whispers. "What do you think?" Neiz was the first to speak.

Dore peeked back over his shoulder, the android being ever patient. "I dunno, he went through so much trouble to be polite about it…"

"But he's the enemy!" The exclamation came out louder than intended, but neither had been keeping their voices down as much as they should have so far.

"I thought Lord Cooler was helping the Earthlings now?"

Neiz poked Dore's gut, gesturing to the green flesh. Before then pointing at 16 "The fleshy ones! Not the metal ones" There was a pause as he pulled back and thought for a moment, hesitantly continuing with "Or just the ones who can't put up a fight…"

"He doesn't seem like the other Androids we met" Both looked at the metal man this time, trying to compare his to the three from the marketplace. He had the build, but the blank stare and rather serene aura he exuded clashed with the image in their heads.

Turning back, Dore found Neiz's outstretched finger drilling into his forehead. "That's how they get you, Dore. One smile is all they need to get inside your head"

Dore's voice became somewhat cheeky, a finger waging as he reminded Neiz. "You said the same thing when your last girlfriend cleaned your bank account"

The reptile forced his partner back due to the mad flailing of his arms as he exclaimed: "She was a brain-eating worm demon, I tell ya!"

"Other androids?" The two snapped back to 16, the sudden shift to serious as he stared them down made them want to jump back into their offensive positions again. "I hope that I am eavesdropping wrong, but…" The lumber mass of a man stomped towards the two, eyes intense and shoulders raised, assuming an intimidating stance. "Are you confirming that you have come into contact with other Android units in a recent timeframe?"

"Uh, well, maybe, you know, kind of-" Neiz turned into a blubbering mess at the sudden serious edge to the conversation. "-Yes. Yeah. We did. So what, Mr. Metal!? I mean, aren't you one of them?"

"It is possible that adding more factors will make the situation clearer for you" 16 nodded to himself, dropping the intimidation out of the blue and sitting himself on a rock. Neiz and Dore were left to stand around like muppets, confused with this flip-flop between 'prepared-to-pound' and peace, things felt better when everybody was just indiscriminately blowing stuff up around them. "I am designated as Android 16. I was purposed with the same destructive goals as the other Androids"

"That's bad!"

"But I was shut down due to defects in my programming or build, only for my systems to be brought back online by Bulma Briefs"

The name, Bulma, pulled on Dore's brain, demanding attention. "Wait, wasn't that name importa-"

"Shhhh. I'm trying to listen to the story" But Neiz's hand formed some rude gestures to and loud noises to shut Dore up.

"I was informed that an unknown amount of time had passed, our target had long since been eliminated and my fellow Androids eradicated" It was almost creepy how casually the man described the slaughter of his fellow Androids.

"Except for the three we sa-"

16 didn't give Neiz the chance to finish, leaning forward with a thick finger raised, wagging as 16 had seen many people do when making a point. "That is exactly the problem. Your confirmation leads to the observation that three mass murdering tools of destruction are loose on this planet. With all the data collected, there is a 93.25% chance that these Units mean only harm and trouble. Such pointless destruction towards the people of this planet and beyond is something that I stand again"

"Huh… Good Androids. You learn something new every day…"There was a wistful sigh from Neiz as the amphibian let out a whistle. He looked as if he were ready to lean back against a rock himself, but as soon as he began his body shot forward with much more enthusiasm. "Hey! We gathered up a lot of info there!"

"And we didn't even have to break anyone's bones. Man, this peaceful talking thing is awesome! I usually just leave that to Salza" Dore clapped to himself, before punching the air to visualize his need for punching. "I mean, I sort of wanted to beat some heads in, but…" Hesitant eyes looked 16's towering frame over. "Hey, sometimes it pays to find the easy way out…"

At the mention of Salza, 16 switched to a more inquisitive stance, which to him was crossing a leg and tapping a finger against his chin. "Hmmm, there are more of you?"

"Yeah, j-"

Neiz practically pounced on his companion, grabbing him roughly by the shoulders and shaking. "DORE! You can't start spilling the beans"

"But the Android's already telling us everything, it's only fair" Dore honestly couldn't see that much of a problem as he pointed lazily at the Android.

"Lord Cooler will kill us! Or worse…" A glance to the left, glance to the right. A terrifying secret passed between friends. "Glare at us."

There was a brief moment where the two just shivered at the mere thought. Their Master was a powerful being, he could kill them in many ways for certain, but death was preferable to be subjected to the pure anger behind that glare of his. That peak to beyond the mask of the cold and calculated calm demeanor. "Oh god, you're right. Thanks for the quick save there, pal"

"It's what I do-"

Finally, it was 16's turn to interrupt, jumping to his feet with a gasp. "YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! In terms of a metaphor, my lips have been too loose! Oh darn, I have been spewing personal information to potential threats far more easily than I should. Bulma will be glaring at me too, and it will overheat my processor's with guilt"

There was an instant connection in the shared fear as Dore loudly whispered to 16"You too!? Tell you what, WE won't blab to anybody if YOU don't blab either"

There was a long pause. "…I am unable to lie to enough of a degree to convincingly give you a false promise"

"Me neither" Both Aliens sadly admitted at the same time.

"We can take comfort in the fact that we have attempted, yes?"

"That's a way to look at it" Dore slapped his knee with a hardy laugh. "You know, Neiz, I'm starting to warm up to this guy"

Only to find Niez's finger poking his forehead once more "He's getting inside your head already! Until further notice, he is the enemy"

"Uhuh, so you're gonna go fight him now?"

He crossed his arms. "Nope."

The conversation was broken once more by the arrival of a loud set of beeps blaring from 16's forehead, instantly giving his embarrassment protocols fuel. His secondary hardware had finished their task, which did give him an idea. "If you still wish to treat me as a hostile, but stumped on how to progress further; may I suggest a solution of forcing an uneasy alliance that will preserve me as an enemy, while making it looks as if you are making the tough decision as well as making progress" As he spoke, 16 made sure to perform various gestured to help, puffing up his chest and trying to make himself look big for 'tough'. "If it would help, I am sure you can plan multiple ways of backstabbing me to make yourself feel smarter. I can manage pretending to ignore everything you say"

Again, the two pulled each other into a huddle, though this time they learned how to turn down the volume, before turning back. Neiz speaking first. "Great idea, Buddy!" He quickly followed his mistake by spluttering out "I mean, NOT-Buddy"

"Wait, what are we allying to do?"

16's arm began to visibly shake, the pumping of the machinery within filling their ears with rough hums of something being pushed. "While we've been talking, I've been using my sub-systems to run a secondary diagnostic, combing through available data to determine any connections with the multiple mentions of abnormal environmental anomalies; otherwise known as signs of the apocalypse to some" A latch on the Android's arm opened like a car bonnet, revealing sleek back machinery underneath, and a small hole where said data was being printed out on paper. "My analysis is done, and the data suggests a strong possibility of the cause being in this location… Shall we look for the 'apocalypse' together?"

* * *

"I hope you have heart attacks to spare, because I know this kick-off to the semi-finals will be a spectacle the likes of which will get those hearts thumping like mad!" The Announcer's voice was lifted in volume by anticipation and excitement drowning every vocal chord, before quickly dropping to a low and pleading moan towards the two fighters on the stage. "And by that, I mean, please at least TRY to make this match last more than 10 seconds. Oh, and play nice and stuff"

Pan found herself dusting off her gi, shooting the crowd a cocky smirk. There was a snort, followed by a dismissive shrug as she nodded at her opponent. "I'm sure if I hold back just a little, I'm sure she'll be able to survive an extra two seconds; one second for style and another for the wind-up punch" She was gonna kick this witch's ass and she was gonna make it hurt.

"Ah, good. You already know the routine of the Ego's Smackdown" The small claps from Kassy had become common by this point. "I didn't know you would accept your place on the floor so easily, Panny!"

To the Announcer's credit, he seemed to just take this in stride, pumping his fists in the air and yelling to the crowd. "Looks like we've got ourselves a grudge match here, folks! You can practically feel the intensity of the heat between these two deadly beauties!"

The two opponents closed the gap between them, one arm clasping the other's as they took part in a traditional pre-fight handshake. Pan took this opportunity to gloat. "I'm a whole other league from that Fox you fought in the first round. You are going down"

"I do so adore that fire in your eyes, Hun. So confident"

"Don't knock the Pan for it's skin tone, Kettle"

"How cute, you think my confidence is the same"

"Oh?"

"Panny, I've already won"

"If you're so sure, why don't you put your money where your mouth is?" Pan's grip on Kassy's arm tightened as she pulled the woman closer, her voice dropping so the conversation was private. "A bet. I win, you owe me"

"And if I am the victor?"

"I dunno, what do you want?"

Kassy went still for the moment, eyes alight with intrigue as she drank in the possibilities. An embarrassing end? A pleasurable one? Maybe something humiliating. After the silent treatment grew bitter, Pan felt Kassy's finger poking against the underside of her chin, a sinister smile growing as the woman looked her dead in the eye and said "Your time." Pan wanted to make a joke of it being 'time alone to flay you alive and wear your skin', but at that moment her mind went blank and her eyes slipped away, sinking to look down at Kassy's gloved hand.

At the Announcer's urging, the two drew back, competition leaking into their blood and firing them up. Pan didn't hesitate to up her energy output a bit in a display of power, hoping to draw out Kassy's ki. She knew that Kassy possessed ki, but throughout this tournament, something has felt weird about it, she could feel that it was there, but it always seemed to cause dizziness whenever she tried to concentrate on it. It was like staring into a raging ocean, where the tides moved about in an unpredictable fashion, instilling a sense of nausea from watching the fluctuating waves.

She could faintly imagine Trunks in front of her, sending an oddly playful wink her way.

A short Saiyan man with a glare that could melt steel looking down on her.

Her own mother, adjusting her gloves and suiting up to kick ass.

And when the call came, when the gong was rung, when the sweet explosion of release wrapped her in a hot embrace, when she felt herself charging forward with a passionate battle cry… She saw her father step beside her and deliver a strong punch to her stomach.

"Don't disappoint Daddy Dearest now!"


	46. Strange Proportions

By far this fight was shaping up to be the most entertaining to the audience of the tournament, mostly because it had fallen to an outright slugfest of two powerful opponents instead of half of the action being hard to see. Two opponents met at the center of the ring, egos a blazing as they traded a barrage of blows that shook the stage. Kassy's knuckle thwacked Pan across the jaw, sending the girl onto her back foot, but the warrior shot back with a kick that rammed a monstrous force into her opponent's knee.

One blow would cause a recoil, only to return an equal measure of force that would rattle the skeleton hiding behind broken flesh. Pan has a cut starting at her lip and dipping down across her cheek, droplets of blood trailing down into the newly-made holes in her shirt. The blood was boiling. Kassy wasn't faring much better as another blow came to her shoulder, leaving a mighty bruise and tearing through her green gi.

But neither could every push each other, not even an inch. No matter the force, no matter the power, no matter where they hit, the two remained in the same spot, their feet digging into the floor so much that it was possible one of them would accidentally dig themselves out of bounds. All this time, the two kept a general eye contact, a stare, promising a dare for the other to be the first to move. The first to 'blink'.

They both stood their ground, digging in their heels and lunging forward with their fists raised and their lungs expelling enough air to shift the wind. Fist's collided and the stage shattered, a shockwave peeling the stone out of place like an onion. Their bodies pulled back from the sheer force, but locking the other set of fingers against the other's before the byproduct of their profuse sweating could hit the floor.

Pan could feel it welling up in the pit of her stomach. The way her eyes lit up with every blow that connected with her side, the way her body purred when her blood was released from the confines of her flesh, the way her blood pumped up her muscles and steamed up with every drop of sweat. Yes, oh yes, she was enjoying this. Perhaps more than she should have. She was scratching an itch she didn't even know was being left irritated in terms of her fighting life.

Mr. Pops had provided a challenge with his tricksy but that's all he was as a fighter, tricks, and cheap shots. She respected him, but he wasn't powerful enough o provide the pure exchange of pain that Kassy could at the moment. He was too weak. Trunks never allowed her this feeling because he was too easy on her, letting her sit and build up the frustration. But Kassy? Now, this was one who could take the blows. One who could give her that pure satisfaction when she hears those bones crack, offer that form of release when her flesh was cut and allowed all that frustration in her veins to gush out of that cut and stain her hands.

"Somebody's gorging themselves" Pan only just barely heard the taunting of Kassy's sickeningly sweet voice, but she couldn't really bark back at it, she was in the depths of a rush and it was overtaking her for the moment. She told herself that she should take the reins, take control, stop it now. But giving in for the moment just felt so damn good.

Kassy finally made her move, after dropping down to avoid another punch, she pushed herself off one hand and deliver her knee into Pan's gut, knocking the wind out of the girl before following it up with a powerful uppercut. This momentum carried Pan upwards, throwing her torso back and spinning through the air, only managing to recover just in time for her feet to reach the ground and slide into a landing.

But Pan did not have time to take a breather as Kassy was putting on the pressure, rushing towards Pan and pushing off of one foot and sending herself spiraling into a spinning kick. With a quick buck of the heels, Pan swerved to the side, dropping under the arc of the blow. This left Pan dancing on the edge of the arena, a big dumb smile on her face as she came inches away from falling.

When Kassy came down with another swing, hoping to push Pan out-of-bounds, the half-Saiyan fired a ki blast at the floor. The resulting explosion covered the distance between the two opponents in an instant, propelling Pan away from the edge and knocking Kassy back. Pan was happy to see her manager hadn't pushed Kassy too far, she wanted this fight to last for more than a few seconds at least. "Don't fall behind now, Buttercup"

"Getting fired up, are we?" The pale fighter's feet left up turned ground as they piled on friction and pressure to slow herself down. As she was mid-speech, she spotted Pan turning back and unleashing a barrage of ki blasts from her hands, all converging on Kassy. An all-out assault. Dodging them all certainly wasn't easy, it took a cat-like grace as Kassy ducked and dived between the split-second gaps in this shower of destruction. Feet light. Legs quick. Head low.

From the audience stands Roshi had to reach out and grab Videl by the arm to keep her in place, even with the force field a violent wind swept through the stadium due to the fight, threatening to knock many to the floor. Fortunately for Chi-chi and Roshi, they had become quite used to witnessing earth-shaking battles, keeping themselves balanced and bound to the railing. From afar they watched as Kassy went in for another kick, only avoiding Pan by a hair, with the space behind Pan facing the crushing weight of the resulting shockwave.

This back-and-forth proceeded for the next few minutes. Kassy would attempt to attack a fleeing Pan, Pan, in turn, would retaliate with enough ferocity to push Kassy back, continuously ending in a stalemate for the two seemingly equal fighters. The only change was the gradual loss and damage to their clothing, soon leaving stray bits of cloth and bruises to cover their arms and legs. Pan didn't just blindly push forward during this repetition, she realized early that this cycle stood in the way of her reaching victory, that this was achieving nothing but stagnation and witling down her endurance.

If they continued like this, the fight would end in a question of who can still stand up after two-hours of beatings. And something about the look on Kassy's face gave Pan an inkling that the girl had some reserves to spare, but her gut confirmed it. "She's been conserving her power for this specific reason, hasn't she, Pan?" Roshi talked as if he expected Pan to reply despite her not being able to hear him. "Pushing you into a corner with lesser attacks, only putting her weight int it when she was sure you'd be hit. Then letting you come back wild and swinging" At that moment, Pan glanced at Roshi for a split-second. Somehow, she knew already, right there the gist of what Roshi was saying.

"But she's too precise in how she predicts this…" Pan could imagine it so clearly, her scowling face as she threw one last punch at Kassy, only for the punch to never hit as Pan collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. _'You had me scared for a moment there!'_ Kassy would exclaim. Pan knew those words well.

"That I am, perhaps I'm simply so smart that I can predict every move you'll make" A cheeky comment coupled with a cheeky grin. Kassy pulled back her arm for a punch, an action that made Pan freeze for a split-second, her thoughts and body clashing. Her brain told her to dodge left to avoid the arc of the punch, but her body wanted to do anything BUT that. Instead of taking the obvious dodging route, Pan's body decided to instead move into the arc of the swing, spin her body around and rive her elbow into the side of Kassy's face.

And it worked.

Kassy had made the small mistake of putting a tad more momentum into the punch, pulling her body forward just enough that the arc passed right by Pan's spinning head. With nothing but air to hit, Kassy's body staggered forward more and she went off balance, leaving the perfect opening for Pan's elbow to do it's worse, slamming into Kassy and sending the woman to the floor with an audible cracking of bones.

During her spin, Pan's brief glance spotted the way in which Kassy pushed out her foot, an angle that would have been in Pan's way if she tried the original dodge. If she had just gone to the left, that foot would have tripped her up and left her wide open for attack. Something Kassy was counting on. Kassy herself had a face of utter surprise reaching her eyes, matching Pan's surprise that the out-of-nowhere hunch had been right. "Wow, thank you gorgeous body!" Before sending a smug smirk down towards Kassy. "Yeah, I guess I am just too damn smart"

Still, Kassy bounced back from this and regained her composure and her signature unnatural joy. "A strange setback, but merely fluff in the grand scheme of things"

"Fluff!? I'm the whole damn pillow!" Pan did not take the time to think her comeback through, instead using that time to jump up and try to stomp on her fallen foe while she still had the chance. But before her foot could hit its mark, Kassy's bloodied hands shot up to catch Pan by the ankle, holding her foot there.

"Yes, and you know where pillows belong?" The struggle between the hands and the foot wobbled under the two competing forces, making Kassy's attempt to move Pan's foot an uphill battle. There was hesitation on Kassy's face, as if she had an idea of what she could do to improve the situation, but didn't want to do such a thing. Kassy then shook her head, rejecting it, going for something else? "On the floor!" With that, the arms twisted, guiding the force of Pan's attack to the side and pushing the girl off balance, providing a free shot to throw Pan's leg down and, in turn, send her tumbling to the cold floor in a heap.

"On the floor? Really? That was your comeback?" Was the first thing that left Pan's lips when she struggled back onto her knees.

"Got something to say, Miss Pillow?"

"Point taken…" Pan did not rise to her feet, instead resting on one knee as her opponent approached. She just needed to push Kassy out of the right, it wasn't like all the holes they made didn't increase the spots in which Kassy could be out-of-bounds. But if she just charged or something like that, she'd most likely fall right back into the routine her body demands, the routine Kassy expects that'll wear Pan out. "How about I give it another shot"

"Oh? You have another line prepared?"

"Yeah, a classic" Still on the ground, Pan pushed her palms together to form an open bowl to pour her energy into. "Kaaaaaaaaaameeeeeee"

Kassy couldn't look more bored. "Oh, that old chestnut" She continued her approach, now forming her own balls of crimson energy in her hand, ready to face Pan's blast with her own. "I'll indulge you, but I don't think a beam struggle is really going to make a difference. Just another thing to tucker you out"

"Haaaaaameeeee" Pan pulled her hands back, the ethereal rays of light escaped from her fingertips and painted the area around her in blue, the energy attack charging up. Thought, Kassy found it off how weak the attack was looking. The energy being built up in Pan's palms was poultry compared other other blasts she'd used in the tournament. "Haaaaaaaaameeeee"

The taller woman now towered over Pan's kneeling form, energy in hand that was coursing with power eager to blast Pan and her pitiful Kamehameha wave away. "Please, try to surprise me, Panny"

The girl questioned whether he on-the-spot thinking would work, that perhaps a better way was viable. Kassy looked down on her and in that moment, the woman looked different. Pan was still mystified how she could have sworn her Father had punched her at the start of the match. But now, with her opponent standing over her, grinning mercilessly as they prepared to rain down hell on her desperate hope for victory, Pan didn't see Kassy. She saw the Androids cornering her like they cornered her one-armed Father, and no matter how little sense it made for either of those two to suddenly be there to face Pan down, it set the girl off. It pushed her forward.

"HAAAAAAAAA!" Throwing caution to the wind, the plan went into action. Instead of firing the blast upon Kassy's face, Pan let energy slip into her right hand, which she slammed into the ground. With that, the Kamehameha was unleashed upon the ground, thus the sheer force of the collision came back round to propel Pan forward. Her body rocketed upwards, crashing into Kassy's body in the process and dragging her along for the ride as the two sailed over the stage.

Kassy was completely caught off guard by this action, simply left to take the head ramming into her stomach. The energy wave kept them airborne and moving, the trajectory ensuring that Kassy would certainly land outside of the stage, while leaving Pan to fall back to the edge at just the right moment. When Pan made her timed exit and landed on the ground, she looked up to Kassy's body with hopes raised high.

As predicted, the body fell far, far out-of-bounds, leaving Pan on the stage and the winner of the tournament. Well, that would be the case, except Pan's plan didn't account for the possibility of Kassy being able to fly. "It was a good effort…" Kassy remarked, her face a mere inch from touching the ground, hovering in mid-air. "But, you know, you should have been expecting this. For shame" With that, the body moved upwards, reorienting itself before moving back over to the stage, floating above Pan.

"That's just cheating! You can't use fly, that defeats the entire reason to have bounds to be out of"

Kassy threw her head to her hands in dismay "Awww, Pan, don't you want to see the rest of what I have to offer?"

"What? More illusions like Mr. Popo does?" Pan scoffed, getting to her feet with a scowl.

"…Illusions?" At this, once more, Kassy seemed to be genuinely confused at the suggestion. Head tilted, eyes wide, the unnatural eyes sparked with emotion.

To Pan, the reaction felt like Kassy was mocking her in some fashion. Angrily, she barked out while pointing straight at her opponent. "Yeah! I've already seen you do it!"

"While I do dabble from time to time, my fighting style has nothing related to illusions, dear. And it's more than just basic punches and kicks too"

"B-but I saw… Dad and…"

"Look." A firm statement as the woman crossed her arms and landed back, safely, on the stage. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps your trip into madness in shorter than you thought"

"I saw it! Gah!" Why was Kassy still pretending? She couldn't honestly think Pan would just take her word for it. Pan knew what she saw and the denial on display only pissed her off more. "Just… Shut up and let me punch you. And you better not be holding back on me, because-"

Words could not leave her lips to finish the sentence, as the air felt like it was knocked out of them. Within a split second, Kassy had appeared before Pan and jabbed two fingers into the Saiyan's stomach before jumping away. "You want to see what else I can do, Panny? Fine. But, on the risk of repeating myself, you asked for your slice of humble pie on a silver platter"

Aside from temporarily knocking the wind out of her, Pan didn't feel anything different. Was that just a teasing blow? Or did Kassy screw it up? Either way, Pan was getting sick of this lady's voice, so she raised her hand to blast the woman's face mid-taunt. But instead of the expected ball of energy to explode from her hand, Pan found a much different result from usual…

A puff of smoke coughed out of her hand accompanied by a sound she could only describe as a choking victim's last pathetic attempt to breathe before they die.

Pan could not fire her ki.


	47. Turtle Shell Breaker!

**Sorry for the super late post, but I've been going through some stressful shit recently.**

* * *

"What's wrong, Pan? Can't get it up tonight?" Kassy's voice slipped into Pan's ear, tickling her frustration as she once again tried to unleash a ki blast at her opponent, only to produce nothing but a puff of smoke and a spark of pain stabbing into her arm. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's common for most fighters"

Pan's face scrunched up in anger "Grow up and shut up!" She growled out, digging her heels into the stage and trying to fire out a blast again. And again, disappointing smoke, growing pains in her arm- Oh, but this time the resilient blowback from trying to force out the edgy came right back down Pan's insides and knocked her straight on her ass.

"You know, if this whole fighter career falls through, maybe you can make it as a turtle" Kassy made no move against Pan, no effort to get closer, no effort to attack, just sitting back and bathing in the girl's frustration. "You do look better on the ground with your face spitting out your insides"

"And you look better with no mouth and something to clean out my eyes" Getting backup was hard with all the anger building up and pushing her down, her inability to summon her energy forth leaving burn marks singing her palms, feeling as if a thin wire was pulling at her skin. "I just need to… Reach deep…" A deep breath, a few seconds to relax, part her legs and open her body up to the power within. That was all. She just had to channel her energy and charge up, then whatever was going on with her arms and hands would be undone.

She took her stance under Kassy's amused gaze, sucking back the mouthful of comments and insults she could spew as her limbs stretched out. Give the energy plenty of room to move throughout her body, plenty of room to reach in, the energy probably just got stuck due to indigestion or something. She just needed to give it a helping hand and pull it out. Reach down deep. Reach down deep. Pan found herself screaming out in pain, knee's buckling at the sharp crack of the energy whipping against her inner walls. She didn't know why, but the retaliation was violent and quick, clawing at her and forcing nerves to scream. "Oof, that didn't go well for you, did it?"

"Shut. Up." It wasn't enough of a hit to her pride or person to make getting back to a stable stance that difficult. _Alright, can't use energy, can't summon energy… I'll just have to beat her the old-fashioned way._ "I don't need no pot shots or explosions to run you into the ground" Without breaking stride, Pan was tearing across the stage towards Kassy, launching herself at herself at her opponent.

Immediately, Kassy's hand came up to block the first blow, catching it in her palm and shoving Pan back. The demi-saiyan didn't let this slow her down, instead carrying the momentum from the shove to spin around with a kick that clocked Kassy clean across the jaw. The brief 'ragh!' of pain was satisfying for the time being, enough to motivate her to follow up the blow with driving her boot into Kassy's stomach.

"Oooo, that did sting" A cackle, that's how Pan would describe that woman's laugh. "Though, I am afraid you will be needing more than just jabs and flicks to keep me off my feet. I'm DOUBLY afraid that even then, keeping me off my feet only makes this harder on you" After Pan's second kick, Kassy stumbled back, but instead of trying to stop herself, she let her feet trip and scramble for balance all the way to the edge of the arena. Where others would fall to their ring out, Kassy instead mockingly let her body collapse onto the air kicking off into flight and soaring above the ring. "You know, flight and all that"

There were loud claps of awe and 'ooo's from the audience at this demonstration, which only made Pan want to drag that woman down from there more. "You wanna play it that way, do you? Fine, this just means your fall will be a lot harder on the way down!" Wasting no time, Pan squatted down, before pushing from her knees and launching herself up into the sky… Only to find herself plummeting right back down, head first into the ground with a mighty blow to her ego. Someone was certainly amused at least.

"As it turns out, when you are unable to control your energy, the part that allows you the ability of flight, you seem unable to access that ability. Who would have figured?"

As she got back to her feet, Pan managed to grumble out through gritted teeth "Yeah, yeah, that's right. Go on, hide up there and taunt me."

Kassy's tongue lashed out in a cheeky gesture. "Every part needs a pooper, I suppose." At the same time, she threw her hands up in the air, crimson energy crackling in her palms, craving release and the chance to explode. "And that pooper gets no cake, only candles" In time with her words, the ki unleashed in thin red blots that swerved away from her hands to rain destruction down upon Pan.

"…That makes no sense" Pan's compulsive need to have the last word had to force out one quick line before she scrambled to avoid the oncoming storm of annihilation, each droplet pounding into the ground around her, nipping at her heels as every moment of contact exploded into glowing blobs that worked on erasing every square inch of the stage. As she ran, Pan immediately noted that this would require some creativity on her part, but how could she get up to Kassonna without flying or propelling herself upwards with energy? The height of her jumps were certainly not high enough to ram herself into the woman, but even if she could that method of attack would do little damage and possibly leave her open to attack. She needed something she could scale, or jump off or run up… But what could she use?

The idea hit her hard enough to almost stumble her as she picked up the pace, cupping her hands over her mouth to increase the volume of her voice as she yelled to the announcer. "Hey, Shouty Man! It only counts as out-of-bounds if I touch the ground, right?" She couldn't really hear any response from the man, but he seemed to mouth 'Well…', which was enough for Pan to follow through with her plan. Putting the pedal to the meddle, she bounded forward with her arms pumping like pistons, the wind rushing past her and the force of her feet leaving holes in the floor.

"In a strange twist of events, Son Pan has broken into a panic, if she doesn't look where she's going she'll find herself going off the edge!" Indeed, despite Kassy's slow attacks and the plethora of room to run, Pan was only heading in one direction: the edge of the stage. A hundred eyes followed her every step of the way, her head ducked low to streamline the shape of her body as her fingers cut through the air, dragging her closer and closer. Each step matched the tempo of her heartbeat, each inch crossed brought out doubts in her mind, each droplet of sweat hitting the floor gave her an inking of satisfaction as the risks became clear.

She had a split second before reaching the last inch of the stage, one moment to carry the momentum of all that running and force it into the last push off her legs as her heels dug into the corner and launched her into the air. As she did this, she already got to work on moving her weight back, curving her entire body because her plan needed a precise angle to work. She needed to keep her momentum, her speed, and her balance. And most important of all: she had to keep moving.

It was a small moment, one where silence filled the air as everyone watched Pan fall toward the ground, waiting for the moment of impact that would announce her failure. But instead of her feet hitting the floor or even the wall that boxed in the stadium, instead just inches away from the audience, Pan's feet hit… Nothing. She was stopped by nothing. Except for those close to her, they could just see the blue hue of the forcefield reacting to the contact and acting as a near-invisible wall that curved over the stage.

Her feet didn't stop moving, they continued pushing and forced her up the side of the bubble. Pan was no stranger to wall running, she had experimented a lot with what she could do with her speed and strength before she had learned to fly, and she knew that tricks like these required constant attention. As she sprinted up the force field, her body falling back as she reached the curve of the dome, she reminded herself that even a millisecond of lax in momentum and she'd fall back to the ground. No matter what, she had to keep moving.

"Oh, that's a neat little number" She had to fight the urge to not ignore Kassy, focus solely on getting up the dome. The worst part was when she initially reached the ceiling, the entire world turned on its head, forcing her eyes to look down at the floor that had become the sky while she ran on the 'air'. It was visually confusing. Though she loathed to admit it, there was a light fear from up here, but that seemed to also add to the excited pumping of her blood. She couldn't decide whether to be scared or exhilarated. It was also at this point that she felt the burning sting resonating in her palms, a reminder of the scorch marks she'd left as they stabbed into her hand like crimson needles.

To the wonderment of the crowd, Pan managed to reach her destination, getting closer and closer to a position where she could attack Kassy. Of course, Kassonna took this opportunity to start an upside-down bombardment, determined to knock Pan out of the sky and ground the halfling. Fortunately, the angel of the shot needed to aim at Pan was a rather awkward one, which made it much harder for her to be hit.

With the best battle cry, she could muster from her lungs, Pan let gravity and her own force roughly throw her body forward like an arrow being let loose from a strained bow. With a flip, a smirk and a deadly flick of her foot, Pan struck true and delivered a spinning kick to the smug cow's face. It didn't take Kassonna down or knock her out of the sky, but the crack of her jaw as the bone underneath peeled back a little was just music to Pan's ears.

Using Kassy's face as leverage, Pan pushed herself up and over to make sure she was still in the air and able to get another attack on the woman. This time, Kassy was ready, already bringing up an arm to quickly block an attempt at a punch, staring at Pan through narrowed eyes muddied by the blood leaking from her forehead. Immediately, Kassy countered by lunging forward, leaping on the brief moment of vulnerability to grab Pan's leg and flying back. Before Pan could regain her bearings, her body was yanked across the stadium, Kassy's using two hands to spin the girl around so fast that the Saiyan's stomach was already threatening to vomit. It was a floating sensation as the world blended together and spun around faster and faster, the wind lashing out against her hair and whipping her clothes.

All until she was finally let go, releasing all that force and momentum upon her. It carried her down, a shooting star coming down upon the earth, only instead of crashing into the ground, Pan found her outstretched hands grabbing a hold of something to stay afloat. It was one of Kassy's still dormant Ki balls and- Oh yes, that hurt like hell. Just touching the orb and feeling the heat embrace her hand singed the burn marks on her palm, but she still managed to hang onto it. In fact, biting through the pain, Pan noted that while she could not summon up her own ki she could maybe use another's. In a way.

Eventually, her weight and gravity took over, dragging her down to the ground with the ki orb along with her, the density of the orb likening it to a strong balloon filled with a lot of air in how it carried Pan down. Kassy wasted no time in bombarding Pan, summoning more ki orbs until their numbers coated the sky, multiple ones descending upon the stage at a time. However, this time, instead of running away from the orbs, Pan decided to block the first one with the orb she already held.

Upon contact, she was pushed back by the force behind the blast pounding into her outstretched 'shield' and once more igniting the pain in her hands. Digging in her heels, she found leverage in the ground that slowed the push until she came to a complete stop. To her surprise, the ki ball sent at her was gone. Wait, no, not gone. She could sense it, somehow it had merged with the one she pushed out.

Ohoho. Kassy didn't know what was gonna hit her!

This fact drove the next phase of Pan's master plan that she'd only come up with three seconds before on the spot. For the next few minutes, Pan ducked and weaved through the air assault, making sure to gather as much energy as she could in her hand with Kassy none the wiser to how this 'devastating' attack was actually making Pan stronger. "Unless you have any new tricks to pull from under your tail, I'd say you've hit your limit, Panny!" The shower of explosions came to a close as Kassy looked down upon the weary and beaten Pan, noting how Pan's breath had become ragged and her muscles succumbing to fatigue. If Pan didn't finish this soon, then she would surely falter due to exhaustion at this point.

"I've still got tricks, though I wouldn't call it a new one…" She held up all the ki she had built up over the fight, flinching in pain as she opened her palms to a familiar position by her side. "At the risk of getting repetitive… Let's try this one again, shall we?" The crimson that signified Kassy's influence soon faded to a sparkling blue as Pan prepared the attack.

"What, are you serious? You're going to try doing the Kamehameha wave again?" There was a measure of disappointment and venom in her tone as she threw her hand up, calling her own energy back to her. "Yes, it was flashy before, but that raw power isn't going to help you here. Fine, you want things to get bright? Well, how about we try flashy?" Within an instant of her clicking her fingers together, energy surged forward above her, red tendrils of ki wrapping around each other, binding one another in a daisy chain of shapes. Soon, above Kassy hung what could only be described as a molten star that made it near impossible to even see the woman through the glow. "You're at your limit, so let's end this the old-fashioned way, Pan! Lots of screaming, lots of lights and two colors duking it out for the rainbow!"

"You might be right, I could be at my limit here. Hell, I feel like collapsing just standing under all this pressure, but that's where you're mistaken too" The star seemed to envelop Kassy on it's direct course to Pan, it's mere presence generating a force that sucked in the ground around them the closer it got. But the warrior didn't back down, she stood up to the overflowing red sea and put forth the blue fire she held in her palm, splitting it up into two pieces between her hands. "Limits aren't the end all, be all. They're just walls you need to break through if you wanna keep getting stronger. So, you better put all you got into this because you're about to watch my shell break!"

At first, the overwhelming might of the star seemed to bore down upon Pan with a power that dwarfed her, but to many fighters, the power of one's resolve many things could be overcome. Instead of firing off the Kamehameha in a worthless attempting at pushing back the attack, Pan instead spread her arms out, on hand facing forward while the other pushed the ki ball backwards, it was only then that she started to fire two halves of the Kamehameha in both directions. The two opposing forces pushed her body into an energy-fuel twister, spin her around so fast that thecolorr of her skin and clothes faded into a blue, overtaken by the blue wisps of her aura and the attack. The fire in her heart burned blue and it overtook her, wrapped around her, drove her.

In no time she launched herself up into the air, carrying herself with the momentum and power pumped out by the vigorous twister. Before long no trace of pan could be seen, in her plac,e there was simply a sharp tornado of blue streaking across the air and flying straight into the heart of the star. The two giants collided, the immovable object met the unstoppable force, a paradox in the making, but one had to break through the other. In this instance the tornado turned, now more resembling a saw cutting into the obstruction in it's path, causing a small shudder in the star, a ripple that showed a chance.

To the crowd's amazement, they watched as the twister pushed into the star, inch by inch it gained ground as it circled around the bottom. It was working, the energy that formed the star was letting up, retreating into itself and leaving a hole in it's wake, forced back by the power of Pan's broken shell. And when there was nowhere to go back any further, Kassy was taken aback as the entire star shuddered and then shattered into fleeting lights. The woman was given no mercy or any time to adapt, the unstoppable force shot around like a flying saucer, coming around the stadium spinning faster than it ever did before, building more speed, more power, more tension until it broke through the air and slammed Pan's energy coated foot into the back of Kassy's skull and stayed there as it slammed her into the ground.

Even as the dust settled, nobody spoke, no body had enough time to think back on what just happened. All they could do was look at the crater left in the ground by Kassy's impactful landing, the woman's body visibly limp at the bottom. Ways away, Pan collapsed to the ground, her arms clinging to her right leg, which had had a complexion and temperature that made it look as if she'd been horribly burned. "That's out of bound… You… Witch…"

After a minute, the Announcer cold finally summon up the energy to break the silence. "With Kassona knocked out of bounds, Son Pan takes the win!"

From the crater there came an odd noise in response to the declaration, not a grunt of pain, not an angry shout for a do-over or even sobbing at the utter loss. No, Kassy, who was so smug and arrogant about her chances of victory, treated her loss with a howl of genuine laughter. "You did it, y-you won. You won!" Her body floated out of the ground gasping for air and gripping a bleeding head, but that didn't impede her laugher or her cheer. "You weren't supposed to win, but you did anyway… You magnificent girl, you! Congratulations!"

Pan was not prepared for the hugging, but she had no choice but to accept Kassona's arms lunging forward to wrap around her torso. "Yes, I'm awesome, I know. Don't damage the awesome!" As Kassy pulled way, Pan crossed her arms and immediately got a question off her chest. "You sure you weren't… That there wasn't any illusion stuff going on?"

Kassy shook her head "I wouldn't have tried such a trick on you after M.r Popo already did it. Didn't want to be repetitive. If you saw your father for some reason, then I am as in the dark about why as you are"

With a clear-cut case of there being no hidden meanings here, Pan pushed on. "Tell me, truthfully: Did you hold back during that fight?"

"Let's just say that this body has many more limits to break, just like yours" With that, Kassonna turned to walk away from the stage, retreating to the tournament lobby room.

Before Pan could follow after her in hopes of getting some grub, she felt the Announcer slide up to her and grab her arm "And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we can proudly announce…" He pulled up Pan's arm to the adoring cheers of the crowd. "SON PAN AS OUR FIRST ENTRANT IN THE FINALES!"


	48. Private Tensions

**I am sorry for how long this chapter took to make. Writer's block hit me hard, shit's been keeping me busy at home and most recently I took a lot of metal to the body (And in case you're wondering, I am quite the wimp so metal hurts...). Thank you for sticking with me and I hope I can get back on schedule for my uploads.**

* * *

There was no better feeling than that of a big plan taking off into it's starting phase, where things are starting out good and that glorious ending is far away enough to tease you like the night before Christmas day. And what could Cooler say, he was in a good mood, a damn good mood. He landed on Earth just fine, conquered a timey wimey wibbly wobbly thing, had the favor of a supposed 'Goddess' and now had launched into a grand manipulation that would put him at the top with free fodder and resources at his fingertips.

"The taste of machinations sprouting their iron web of influence on the cusp of my tongue… Oh yes, there is no greater feeling than this" The wayward Emperor took his time walking back towards the ship, allowing himself time to savor this taste before getting back on track with work. "I haven't felt this good since I orchestrated my opponent's crushing demise back in Kindergarten hop-scotch" Cooler was not known as a man to smile much. Where Frieza was a man known for the sadistic pleasure he took in his conquest, the older brother found power in permanent fury until smiles were needed, meaning that most of his smiles looked similar to a hungry beast about to catch a prey's throat in it's jaws.

Salza fell in line behind his mighty master, posture straight even if he wasn't all in it at the time. "Eet eez a buhlsséng to see you in such a good mood, my Lord. Yur glairious fury eez best savéd to fuel yur passhe-onate decrees instead of beeng wasted on wairms"

His blue skin became much paler when the towering form before him stiffened, coming to a complete stop, turning on the man with a look that made Salza mistake the Emperor's look for that of twin eye beams bearing down on him. "The words are encouraging, but that tone is tickling my nerves. Is there something amiss, Salza?"

Within an instant, Salza's body stood up straight with a salute at the ready to cover up his mistake. "Eet eez notheng to be concairned abut, yur gréatnez. Todai 'as been a long dai, zat eez all."

It was with an audibly loud thump that Cooler's tail slammed against the ground behind him. "Do not insult my intelligence, Salza" His tone was blunt and coated with venom. "Proceed to test me and see what rewards you receive" He pronounced the words with such a refined manner that made the underlying threat all the more vicious.

"Ai meent non offénsé to you. I was merely assuméng zat zis eez an issue zat eez béneath such a divine figur"

Cooler stopped in his track, his neck twisting for his unapproving gaze to sweep over the soldier. "If your efficiency in service is affected by this, then this issue is far from beneath my notice, or do you assume I have lowered my standards for underlings in the time we have been apart?"

"Never, my Lo-"

"Such distractions only weigh you down. If I had been the enemy, that would have been all I'd need for the killing blow" Salza became frozen stiff when within milliseconds a long pointed finger pressed against his temple, the same finger that had been used to end many lives with on shot. "If you cannot focus, you will be on the fast track to becoming a liability to the mission, Salza"

Of course, the soldier was already bowing his head before his lord, back arched and submissive. "I apologize, my liege. It was never my intention to disrupt the mission, I simply didn't think it was a problem. I will be more forward-thinking next time"

There was silence for a time as Cooler kept his gaze on the man, soon finding a snort escaping his lips before he turned away again. "You have been in my service for how long now, Salza?"

"Over 30 years to this day, my lord" Despite the tension of the situation, Salza did feel a bit of relief, a smile crossing his lips as he thought back to that day. He could still remember Captain Ginyu patting him on the back as the rubble of Cooler's personal summer home was swept away. "I remember that moment fondly, Sir. Down to the last detail" He had still been wearing the older armor style back then.

Cooler rested his finger against his chin, softly massaging it as he stared into space, looking back on these long years. "A fruitful service from what I've observed. I understand that such a long time spent on the front lines of a war can take a toll on a man, even one as experienced as you"

"Sir, with respect-"

"Save me the misplaced assurance, or my frustration will inch into my rationality" He didn't turn around this time, simply slapping his tail against the already crushed ground. "Just remember this, Salza: Lord Cooler takes his debts very seriously and all loyalty shall be repaid handsomely"

"I am well aware, Sir"

"And I advise you not to take it lightly" Once more his feet brought him forward, pushing onwards regardless of if Salza followed or not. "Now, unless there are any other matters that demand my attention, it is time we return to our ship"

Salza simply let all his doubts be pushed down like he's supposed to and nodded, taking off after his master.

* * *

There were many worries thrust upon your shoulders whenever you delve into some place that you know you're not allowed in, whether it be the cookie jar beside your sleeping parent's bedroom or half-way through looting cash registers in between the employee's mandatory smoke break. These worries pressure a person to such a point that something as small as a quiet step that fell out of rhythm made them fear that they'd been discovered.

So, when Pilaf knocked over enough objects to cause a loud metal orchestra of clanging to reverb throughout the entire ship, it did nothing short of giving Bulma a mini heart attack. "What do you morons think you're doing!?" For a moment, the Pilaf gang could swear that the old woman had grown sharp fangs and the roar of a predator as she yelled at them.

"Investigating?" She found him standing amidst scattered crates, his feet locked together, and face of a child that just got caught doing something very naughty.

At the forced-out excuse, Shu leaned in a bit with his eyes drawn together. "Sire, weren't you trying to take a nap on-"

Hand to snout contact as Pilaf clamped down on his loyal soldier's blabbermouth. "Don't give me away, Traitor!"

As she leered over them, the three could only shrink back and squeeze together with wide eyes as the woman snapped at them. "You need to be more careful! If the aliens come back and find everything out of place, they'll know we've been here!"

Pilaf raised his hand "And that's bad?"

"VERY BAD!" Mai and Shu both joined in this time as they yelled at their glorious leader.

"What about that hole we left in the-"

"We'll fix that later" Bulma let out a sigh of frustration, groaning as she massaged her temples, the weariness of the situation already hitting her so soon. "God, I swear it's like dealing with children" Another groan, another inner mantra to keep calm and focused. Looking at the trio on the floor not being productive, she stomped one foot and cocked her hip with the glare of a devil. "Come on, move it, scrub this joint top to bottom before we get company!"

With that, the blue-haired demon disappeared down the dim hallway of the ship, there only being one hallway really that circled around all the rooms. "Who does she think she is to order us around like that?" Pilaf grumbled under his breath as he shuffled to put the crates back where they belong.

"The one paying our salary?" Mai suggested just as Pilaf struggled to pick up the metal object. He ended up pausing for a moment to take a deep breath.

"The one giving us a place to live, sleep and eat?" Shu barged his way in as the imp took a second attempt, sweat dripping from his brow and dampening his chin.

"The one we're lucky doesn't remember all the terrible things we did to her-"

Pilaf, in a sudden burst of anger and strength, managed to lift the crate up high over his head and slam it back in its original position, turning to glare at his underlings. "Enough! I get it, geez…"

Through the winding corridor, past the medical bay and through a secure and fancy looking door that Bulma managed to hack open (Something she'd learned when salvaging Frieza's ship), Bulma was faced with a large and open room. It was strange, she'd crossed over other living quarters on the ship, ones that obviously belonged to the underlings, but they were far more… Well, colorful. "This room looks important… Must be the Captain's quarters or something" It certainly looked expensive with the large, fluffy king-sized bed, the expansive desk, the gold plates and the royal patterns on the wall. Yet, somehow it still felt like a confined hole. "There's gotta be some good stuff in here… Aha! Blueprints, jackpot!"

Strewn out on the desk were blueprint piles which were, thankfully, similar looking to Earth blueprints, holding information on different contraptions. Her eyes grew wide with intrigue. There wasn't a lot of the salvage that was still intact enough for Bulma to reverse engineer it, so seeing all these designs along with the components she needed was absolutely fascinating to the scientist. "Some of these require specific components that Earth doesn't have… But I bet I can throw some stuff together that would make a suitable replacement." The Healing Unit's schematics were an especially attractive find, without sensu beans to heal all wounds, such a thing would be incredibly useful.

Taking out her phone and making sure to get a good photo of each schematic, Bulma moved away from the desk and turned her gaze to the rest of the room, her eyes narrowing to scrutinize the join as she wondered what else she could find. "Maybe more information about who we're dealing with at least" She had been careful in her endeavours here, god knows how many procedures she went through before setting on pinkie toe inside this unknown ship (The security system and cameras were a real bitch to deal with), but here she felt that her curiosity overwhelmed her caution as she tore across the room.

Pulling out a drawer, Bulma was surprised to find a long row of files organized and labeled in alphabetical order. A cursory glance through them offered a look of meticulously detailed reports on different planets, species, and events, evaluating how much of a threat they were to 'The Empire' and if they'd be useful allies. Bulma was sure that these would probably be quite valuable if she knew more of what happened out in space, especially towards any future efforts for Earthlings to leave Earth and spread out among the stars, but time was ticking away and she certainly couldn't bring any of these with her. Though, she could take the time to peek.

Starting off with something simple, she went to 'E' to find Earth bound in nice and thick paper. Some basic observations, the mix of species, the last known location of Freiza and his father Cold, connections to the Galactic Patrol (Which reminded Bulma that she hadn't seen Jaco in years, He better have a good excuse for not helping out on Earth), multiple mentions of the Super Saiyan (And considering how thick the folder dedicated to Super Saiyans was, Bulma was sure the writer was a tad obsessed) and- The Androids?

"They have information about the Androids? That must mean they've visited the Earth in secret prior to 18 and 17's deaths. But how? Gohan or Trunks would have sensed them, right? How long has this ship been here?" With the mention of the androids, Bulma decided to go on a hunch and flick back to 'A' where, low and behold, the Android had their own dedicated folder.

For the first few entries, there was little pertaining to Earth, just mentions of other instances of Artificial life created in the universe, speculation about something called the 'Big Gete Star', an entire artificial planet, myths of a universe of metal beings- There was a lot there. It took a while for her to find references to Earth's own brand of metal misfits, details of how much of a threat such fighters were to 'The Empire' and an outline of speculation of their abilities. It's made a big point of that they were triumphant over the Super Saiyan. The thing that caught Bulma's eye was a small reference near the bottom of one page, citing that specifically 17 and 18 were likely similar to the works of 'Dr. Alah S and Dr. Omit T'.

This new information made Bulma hopeful as she scrambled to look up the names in the files, but sadly these people didn't warrant a folder to themselves. If they had similar creations or discoveries relating to 17 and 18 they could have possibly found an answer to Bulma's component problem with 16.

Pushing it back into the make-shift filing cabinet, Bulma got to her feet to look towards the console stuck in the center of the room which probably held a wealth of useful information. With determination, she jumped to switch it on and try to access the database within, but like Earthlings, it seemed these aliens enjoyed their privacy with passwords. She took a few shots at guessing the password to no luck. And she was really hoping 'password' wasn't a dumb password to aliens. She tried 'Frieza', 'Saiyan', 'Monkey', 'Cold' and '1234'. Nothing but errors.

After a few minutes of fiddling around with the machine, she found that it was currently way out of her league to have any hope of gaining access in such a short amount of time. She begrudgingly admitted to herself to move on. Instead, she turned her attention to a colorful pile of papers, some were letters, some were pamphlets, and some were only what she could assume to be printed out e-mails. And one bright blue one advertising some website…

 _'Greetings, all Tyrants! Are you fresh from the draining obscenities of politics? Is the blood still pumping from the latest planet you've conquered? Is it a tad lonely at the top of the royal pile? Well, worry no more as 'Royal Flush' will provide you the perfect match to warm the throne next to you. Sign up at 'www .RoyalFlush. ', put yourself out there and let the galaxy fight to get a bite of that royal fruit'_

"Huh, people will have dating websites for anything" She rolled her eyes and dropped the advert back on the pile. The next item was more interesting to her, a simple photograph that hadn't aged gracefully. In the photo, she could make out four creatures adorned in gold and silver. The largest figure was sitting on top of a mighty throne, a child on his knee. "It looks… Frieza? But he's so… Cute! Is that the big guy that was with Frieza when he landed on Earth?" Thinking back to the files, Bulma realized that this guy was 'King Cold'. The child must have been a younger Frieza, the other two people in the photo were probably other family members.

One was obviously much more feminine than all the people in the photo (Though Frieza took a lot of his looks from her), with a slender frame and elegant makeup creating a fragile looking body. Her smile was wavering mid-giggle as she tried to keep little Frieza still on his father's lap. Off to the side was a less joyous figure, taller than Frieza with a glare held in his eye as he was squeezed against the frame, a noticeable distance between him and the rest of the family. "Do all loners have the same glare? Because this guy is making me think of Vegeta and Piccolo…"

It might have been a cute picture if Bulma didn't know that at least two of the people there were genocidal maniacs. She twisted her fingers to flip the photo over, revealing to her crisp handwriting that said: _'To another century alive: Emperor Cold, Lady Tundra, Prince Frieza and Prince Cooler'_

"Hmm, I wonder…" Bulma brought the photo with her as she moved back over to the blinking console, holding the names against the screen and typing with one hand. 'Cold' didn't work, adding the king in there bore no fruit and using 'Cooler' pushed the password screen into the final attempt before she was completely lock out. With baited breath, Bulma punched in 'Tundra' and with a press of enter she sat waiting for the swirling circle to tell her whether she was wrong or right.

She almost jumped for joy when the screen went blue and the 'Welcome!' sign flashed before her. "AND I AM IN!" For a moment, she really had to pat herself on the back for remembering to bring her 'Cultural Lenses' with her on this trip, otherwise, she'd be reading all of these alien words as gobbledygook.

As soon as the personal desktop lit up, Bulma went straight to hitting up the files, desperate to find any information she could quickly and save it. A lot of folders split off into planets, categories, upcoming events, planning, ect. It was the cabinet all over again. The 'Research' folder sounded like a good first stop, perusing through different departments before she stumbled upon the folder 'Archives', one double-click and she was- Her eyes widened with recognition at the first file she saw, one labeled 'Dr. Alah Sludge'. It was one of the men mentioned in the Android reports. "Score one for me!"

Her body coursed with energy as she kicked her chair aside, pulling up the file with a chuckle under her breath and mirth in her eyes. She was eager to find anything that could help 16 grow, but not eager enough that she didn't fall into dead silence upon hearing the hiss of steam and metal as the ship's roof opened up to let it's owners back in.


	49. Around Every Corner

**Hey, look, I'm not dead! Yeah, it's been quite the dramatic few months for me. Fun Fact: I had all but the last few paragraphs of this chapter done for a while.**

* * *

Many thoughts passed through Bulma's head at that moment, smothering her in chanting panic as she pressed her body flat against the wall. Questions about what would happen next, murmurs of past nightmares, quips about this being the worse way to die, but through all of that she found that the most loud and apt thought was 'Oh crap, oh god, oh shit! SHIT!'.

Her fingers clenched firmly over the rim of her lips, squeezing them together to fight back the urge to breath or wimper at her predicament. It didn't help that she could hear the noises of her 'pursuers' becoming louder as they creeped closer to her position. The further time ticked onwards, the more her lungs choked out for room to suck in air.

As soon as the new arrivals had returned to the ship, Bulma had made a mad dash to the first thing she could hide behind. In this instance, it was the crook of the slanted side of the overflowing filing cabinet that stood with it's front facing the door. She had just managed to slip a 'Data Bug' (A small device she created to discreetly steal data from machines. A tiny, green fly) onto the console before she ran.

"Salza, I'm detecting a hint of inconvenience being thrown before me yet again. Or am I confusing that with incompetence?" The cold metal became scorching hot under her sweaty touch, the impatient and commanding voice pushing her panic even further, making for a very odd feeling of goosebumps trickling down her spine.

"Mon apulogees, mon laird. Ai 'ave triéd 'is scouter frequéncy sévairal times, but Dore just won't answair" The one with the accent was certainly much closer, his boots slowly coming into view as the door opened on him fiddling with his scouter. His alien complexion gave Bulma immediate flashbacks to her time on the planet Namek. Though, his armour looked much fancier than what she saw back then. Had a different insignia on his chest as well. "Do you think zey aré een need of asseestance?"

He stopped in front of the open doorway, Bulma inching back behind the cabinet with her head peering around the side until she was practically smushed up against the wall. A thought instantly dawned upon her as she noted the scouter again. A much sleeker design, but probably still functioned the same in detecting power levels. No matter how low a level she had, if they had any reason to try and search for power levels, Bulma would be tracked down immediately. All they'd need is one thing out of place and she would be done for.

Her mind immediately went to the hole she'd cut out of the ship's floor to get inside, leaving both the hole leading out and the circular slab of metal beside it. Dead. I am so dead. Best case scenario is that if they saw the hole, they immediately assume that the intruder got out and don't bother searching the ship. Unfortunately, as she craned her neck as low as she could no matter the pain, she had to remind her self that the best case scenario was not a likely one.

"Perhaps." The booming and curt voice responded, his tone fluctuating slightly. Was something distracting him? "With recent events I've had to accept how much danger could be present here, but if we assumed the worse every time they fell behind on their regulated reports back we'd never have time for wars. If they're not in danger now, they will be later for causing such distractions in our minds."

"Are we to leave now zén, Monsieur? Eet eez impairtént to assure ur suldiair's safetay, even if there's a chance le situashé-on isn't as bad as eet could be"

"You are correct, Salza. On discreet and careful missions such as ours, it is imperative that we squelch any chance of unplanned exposure under our foot." The man finally came into full view, his tall form inching Salza out of the frame offered by the door. The mere sight of him forced Bulma to cover the quiet gasp fighting to escape her lips. That heavy tail smacking against the floor, that twisting bio armour, those lizard-like features and those gems embroiled in his body like a king's ring finger.

Frieza!? No, no, it couldn't be Frieza even if the gravity of death was terrible at keeping that villain down. The different colour, the more masculine build, the voice… There were similarities, but this was not the same creature that Bulma witnessed trying to take her friends hostage as a desperate last attempt to pull some type of victory over Goku. But there was definitely a resemblance there. Narrowing her eyes, she thought back to the family photo, the other boy in the scene, the one who's scowl had not changed since that day. He isn't Frieza, the big guy was Cold and the Lady was obviously Tundra. So, that means this is… Cooler.

Realising this only made Bulma feel all the more powerless in this situation. Earth had enough on it's plate with the possible return of the androids, but now another Tyrant ready to unleash their wrath upon the planet? He's going to be after Trunks, isn't he? Goku isn't here to be a target, so my little boy has to suffer again! Who knows how strong Frieza's brother is? More cards stacking up against her little boy and she couldn't do anything to help him. What kind of a mother can't help their child? "We'll head to their co-ordinates soon. Keep me informed on any updates while I over some of the information we have"

"Of curse, ai weehl leave you to yur intéllectual ét stimulateng museng, mon laird" Salza's body leaned into the room halfway as he fell to one knee to retrieve a strip of paper on the ground. "Oh, eet seems zat you dropped zis my- Royal Flush? Oh mon, ai 'avé blundaired into a most private mattair!"

"I'll be taking that. Now." In an instant, the paper had been snatched from Salza's hands followed by a growl of what Bulma could only assume was embarrassment.

"Ai undairstand, Monsiéur." A sheepish look was given before the soldier jumped to his feet with an excited smile lighting up his handsome features. "Pardon mon twitchy state, but ai am simp-lee bursteng wiv excitémont at le prospect of you sairchéng fair yur queen!" Geez, he looks like he's about to tear up. Is this Cooler guy really that romantically repellent?

Salza was allowed to go no further, Cooler's body growing taller in her eyes as he poked a finger against the man's chest, teeth bared and leaning in closer to make sure his words were clear. "I will say this once, Salza. Cease this babbling and straighten yourself out this instance. You're the Emperor's Hand, not an insipid school girl. This is no cause for excitement. This is business and conquest"

"Ah, zo you aré, 'ow la sex deprived bar patrons sai, just déspairate?" Don't laugh, Bulma. Don't laugh.

"Salza."

The soldier froze, his arm stuck in a permanent salute. "Ai reahlizé now zat those waire poair wairds to chose, mon laird."

Two fingers came together at the base of Salza's neck. "Thin ice."

"O-of curse, oh mairciful and benevulent laird! Ai shall skip ovair to le bridgé and investigaté le glitch expairiencéd by ur sécuritay system upon ur arrival whilé you deahl wiv yur... Private time, Monsieur."

"See that you do, Salza" Cooler watched his lieutenant disappear down the hallway as he turned to stride through the door and into his personal quarters, walking past the cowering Bulma and sliding into the chair in front of the console. "Now, to business…"

Slender fingers typed away as the computer screen flashed to continue it's session, Cooler seemingly not noticing that he had left it off since his last use of it. Images, tabs and windows flew by in quick succession as Cooler brought them up, read them with incredible speed and then swiped them away while shaking his head. The only things Bulma could catch from her positions were words all the tabs had in common, 'Kai', 'Distortions' and 'Reality Warping possibilities'. Leading to a gallery of images that Cooler seemed to take enough interest in to pause, all of the images depicting a pink skinned girl in a swamp of sorts.

Who was that? Did the royal dating site already set the lonely man up with a date? It was nice to think a funny thought like that despite the situation, though Bulma had to cover her mouth to stop herself from giggling at her own thoughts. The woman on the screen did look high class, sophisticated, would fit right in at a royal abode.

Now that she thought about it, the word Kai was familiar to her. It had been quite a long time since she heard the word, but she could have sworn that Goku used to talk to a… King Kai? Was that who Cooler was looking for?

She caught Cooler in the middle of an intense staring session with the computer screen, his chin resting atop the back of his hand as his eyes glared daggers. Miss Kai had been stuck to the back of his mind like a squashed cockroach stuck to one's shoe. She brought uncertainty, questions and pragmatic fear. Her unbecoming and lower class manner unfitting of a Goddess she claims to be brought wonders as to the other Gods of the Universe. Is her presence here a sign of a much bigger problem approaching their galaxy? What was her angel in this fight? Most of all, how would she affect his plans?

She presents herself as someone he could see manipulating into his loyalty, probably use the Androids as the example of a common enemy and such. But the contradictions in her behaviour left him with a sense of her hiding more wisdom and intelligence than she seems to possess.

It couldn't be simple, it's never simple.

As Cooler stewed over his questions, Bulma was still caught in the tight squeeze of tension, her eyes now locked on her phone as it displayed a progress bar for all the data being copied by her bug. She refused to leave this endeavour empty handed. She would help her son, even if she was absolutely terrified of this creature even glancing at her.

Why is this thing taking so long!? If it doesn't hurry up, I'm a sitting duck! It was like life was taunting her with each passing second. Ah, who was she kidding? Life has ALWAYS been taunting her and she never let it get to her, not then, not when she met monkey child that turned into a giant monkey and not now. She could do this. She just had to keep a steady head, wait a minute and then shimmy out of the room while that doofus was still staring at his computer screen. Then she was home free. Well, unless somehow somebody else attract-

Oh god, the Pilaf Gang.

Why did she bring the three stooges with her again?

Wait. WHERE were those three?!

* * *

"Alright, people, we've been through three classes of yoga for this moment!" Pilaf's low whisper came out high pitched and squeaky in the ship's disorganised cargo bay, but it was inspiring all the same.

A thought caught the Emperor's faithful companion mid-setence "Didn't we sleep through that last one?" Which had Mai nodding in agreement while their great emperor frowned.

"Okay, two and half. But the exercises we learned were crucial"

"But, Sire." Shu broke out in a sweat, shuffling as much as he could in this tightly compacted formation against the wall. They were between a large crate and a hard place. "We don't have our work out gear! If we start to pump our stuff, we'll be drowning in body odour before you know it" Shu pushed his snout under Mai's arm, as if hoping to find a miraculous yoga outfit in his size lying around atop one of the many crates and statues within the room. Perhaps there would be something draped over the arm of the fat alien statue balancing in the centre of the room.

"Not that exercise! Breathing, our breathing exercises. We're in a tight spot, stowed away on an alien space craft where who-knows-what could be lurking around the corner to spring our untimely demise upon us" As he said this, the imp's head darted around the corner of the door frame for one fearful glance. The hallway seemed empty for the most part, but when it was one giant circle, you couldn't exactly get a good view from a door frame. "Just think, one wrong step and- BOO! Giant boulder chasing us down a maze. WITH PITS OF POINTY SPIKES!"

"Didn't we do that?"

Pilaf snorted, shrugging off the compliment sheepishly "Well, of course. We're evil geniuses, so everyone would copy our style" His hand came up to wave around lazily. "Point is: We need to remain calm, vigilant and aware. Which is why we need to breathe right."

Mai nodded once. Twice. And then got stuck. "We need to breathe? I thought we just rambled on endlessly about a random topic to calm ourselves"

Pilaf turned away from the door with his nose up and arms crossed, a sour expression growing. "Please, Mai. Like I would ever say anything that was pointless or pedantic"

She resisted the urge to interject "Of course, Sire"

With order restored, Pilaf collapsed against the walls under the stressful pressure of his duties. "Now, where's that old hag? We've been pushing stuff around for a full minute and I'm tired!" He let out a sigh of exuhstion, wiping the sweat off his brow. "It's exhausting ordering others around."

The answer came in the form of a distant echo quickly approaching the door from the circular hallway. "Now, whaire did ai put zat manual? Ai keep getteng zat same damn airrair cod"

Pilaf perked up at this. "Urg, finally! It took her long enough. What? Did she break a hip sitting down or something?"

Shu, however, paused to ponder outloud "You know, she sounds even more masculine than usual"

Shu looked to Pilaf, who in turn traded a glance with Mai, who then continued the trifecta by returning to Shu all while the male voice with a heavy accent became louder.

"…."

Wait a second, Bulma wasn't-

"HIDE!" Mai screeched as quietly as one could under such circumstances, splitting off from the three-man stranglehold they had going on in the corner to find her spot, followed closely by Shu. It was chaos as they tripped over crates, struggles to not tip over display racks as well as finding a spot that didn't keep them exposed.

The Great Pilaf was not deterred.

"To any ordinary man this would be an impossible task, but to the Great Emperor Pilaf, three-time champ of the bronze medal in the world hide an' seek-" What felt like an hour into his pontification, the imp quickly found himself standing in the middle of the room with his servants not even listening to his monologue, making it all the more terrorfying when the footsteps of his demise echoed louder in his mind. "HEY! SAVE A SPOT FOR ME!"

He scrambled over strewn about food items and metal components, finding his companions squashed together in a small hidey hole atop a mountain of luggage. The top center layer missing one crate that offered a small space. However, when Pilaf scaled the pile, his nervous eyes found little room for him to squeeze in. "Sorry, Sire, already taken!"

His eyes grew wide in panic, throat itching for relief as his eyes darted around the room. Maybe a few waist high objects he could crouch behind, but what if this guard towered over it? A lone crate, but all sides were open. "But there's nowhere else to-" In his panic induced hopping, the imp's foot pushed down on the edge of the crate he stood upon, sending his weight forward and sending him in a tumbling mess down the pile for a harsh collision with the floor. By the time he managed to get to his feet, head pounding and vision wobbly, Salza was right outside the door inputting the door code.

No, no, no, there has to be a way out of this. What am I going to do!? This can't be the end for me!

The tension fuelled silence had ruled the room for so long that the metal whining of the door sliding open felt like an invisible shockwave bursting through the door and shaking the room to it's core, almost shattering the air itself. "Ai think ai left it een haire." Salza couldn't take one step into the room before stopping to shake his head in disgust. "Gah, zis ruhm eez filthy and disairganized. Note to self: Daire eez on clean-up detail zis week." He could not tolerate such blatant disregard for cleanleness. They were a squad of elite soldiers maintaining the upkeep of the Emperor's ship, not a group of teenagers in their first year of intergalactic college! What would Lord Cooler think if he found his storage bay in such disarray?

However, that was a worry for later. Salza came here to proceed with a higher priority objective. Even in this mess, it didn't take Salza long for his eyes to fall upon a dusty old tech manual sticking out from under one of the shelves. It clearly had not been used for a while. "Ah, zéré eet eez!" He was careful to manuver around the clutter plaguing the room. A true soldier of the PTO must carry themselves with the grace of a gentleman, even when performing menial duties. "If ai don't fix zis malfuncshe-on asap, Laird Coulair eez goeng to roast me like a pig. He's paranoid enough wiv al-"

Just as Salza turned to leave the room he found himself brought to a sudden halt as something collided with him mid-stride. Looking down, his eyes found a small blue head sandwhiched between a multi-colored hat and frills.

Pilaf would have screamed for mercy if he hadn't lost the words. His whole body was shocked still, his face paused in eternal panic as the alien menace scowled down at him. This was it. He's gonna turn me into chopped liver. The Great Emperor is going to be the great last supper! Oh god, why is he still looking at me? His eyes are terrorfying!

After a few seconds, Salza crossed his arms and frowned. "Huh, what eez Daire's Invadair Ziggy Limited Edishe-on Statue doeng oot of 'is trunk?" Before Pilaf could even jinx his fate, Salza leaned forward, grabbed Pilaf by the shoulder and plucked the imp from the ground. "Bah, what a slob. If ai wasn't around, zumoné could 'ave accidental-lee kikd eet ovair et smashéd eet into a meehlion pieces." Pilaf was too distracted by the confusion of it all to dwell on how hard it was to stay still while the man carried him over to a clear space and placed him down carefully. "Zere, safé et sound. Don't go gét smashed air anytheng, Dairé would push 'imself to bankruptcy tryeng to réplace you."

With that, Salza dusted off his hands, retrieved the manual and marched out of the room belting a jaunty tune. Even when the door closed, Pilaf found himself stuck in shocked silence for a few minutes more, only snapping out of it upon the prodding of his minions. He was alive? Aha! The Great Pilaf had triumphed once more due to his superior cunning!

However, when looking back on this amazing tale and thinking of how he'd word it to anyone who asked, he remembered what Salza had been yammering on about. Salza was going to investigate their sabotauge.

Mai and Shu were quite shocked to see Pilaf shake his head and opening the door, eyes filled with hesitant determination. "Sire, where are you going!?"

Pilaf was silent, like even he couldn't believe what he was saying. "F-following him…"

"This isn't a time to be a courageous and great emperor, Sire!"

"Shhhhh, listen!" He held up his finger and their voices died out, allowing a distinct humming noise to wash over them. "Hear that humming? That's the force field we took down on our way in here. It's back up and that guy there is going to investigate what took it down in the first place"

"While the field's up…"

"No escape."

Mai shook as she began "And any leads he finds-" before turning to Shu with equally shocked faces as they finished in unison. "HE FINDS US!"

Any calm had been shattered by this revelation, the two breaking out into hives as Shu tried to throw out a solution. "Maybe we can just throw some bombs or something to blast our way out and run for our lives. I'm sure we're small enough that these aliens won't find us"

Pilaf simply shook his head. "I would love nothing more than to proudly advance in the opposite direction. But we'd be leaving that old Hag behind!"

Mai had to check that she was hearing right. Risking his neck to go out and save Bulma? That was far nobler an action than she expected from Pilaf. Maybe he was changing, maybe this was a new page in their lives. "Oh, Sire, that so noble of yo-"

"And she signs our pay checks!"

She walked right into that one. "That'll do"


End file.
